After defeating their longtime rivals, the Pakistani Champions, by five wickets here at Edgbaston on Saturday, the Indian Champions were proclaimed the World Championship of Legends 2024 victors. In a fiercely contested game that came down to the wire, the Yuvraj Singh-led squad proved their superiority in the battle and won the coveted championship. In addition to some thrilling bowling and batting displays during the match, India’s Robin Uthappa captured the essence of cricket as he attempted to assist Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq, who was having trouble with an injury.
In the 17th over of Pakistan’s batting, Misabh was forced to retire injured after scoring 18 runs off of 15 balls. As the former Pakistan captain turned to go towards the dressing room, Uthappa volunteered his assistance.
After winning the toss, the Pakistani Champions chose to bat first and amassed a respectable 156 for 6 in their 20 overs.
The squad got off to a strong start thanks to Kamran Akmal (24 off 19) and Maqsood (21 off 12), but regular wickets held the scoring in check.
The standout performer was Shoaib Malik, who scored a crucial 41 off 36 balls, anchoring the innings. Captain Younis Khan failed to make a mark as he was clean bowled by Irfan Pathan for 7. The middle-order collapsed and Misbah-ul-Haq was retired hurt after a brisk 18, late contributions from Sohail Tanvir (19* off 9) ensured Pakistan reached a respectable score.
Indian bowlers, led by Anureet Singh who clinched three wickets with support from Vinay Kumar, Pawan Negi and Irfan Pathan (one wicket each) were instrumental in containing Pakistan’s batting lineup.
India Champions responded by deliberately beginning their run chase. Even though Ambati Rayudu lost Robin Uthappa (10) early in the innings, his brilliant fifty off thirty balls laid the groundwork for the Men in Blue’s chase.
In the same over, Suresh Raina also left cheaply for four, aiding Pakistan’s recovery. However, Rayudu and Gurkeerat Singh Maan’s (34 off 33) solid partnership kept India in the game.
The momentum remained solidly in India’s favour with Yusuf Pathan’s scorching 30 off 16 balls before the latter was dismissed in the last over. Rayudu and Mann also went out in a span of 10 runs.
To the pleasure of their supporters, India sealed the victory, closing at 159 for 5 in 19.1 overs, with skipper Yuvraj Singh (15) and Irfan Pathan (5) at the crease.
Even with their best efforts, Pakistan’s bowlers were unable to stop India’s progress towards the target. With stats of 3-0-29-2, Aamer Yamin was the most effective bowler. He was aided by Sohail Tanvir and Sohail Khan, who each claimed one wicket.
