New Delhi: Harbhajan Singh was left in tears after India Champions defeated Pakistan Champions to win the inaugural World Championship of Legends on Saturday at the Edgbaston. Opting to bat first, Pakistan Champions rode on Shoaib Malik’s 41 to post 156/6 in 20 overs. Anureet Singh did most of the damage with 3/43 in his four overs.
In reply, Ambati Rayudu led the chase for Indi Champions with a 30-ball fifty before notable contributions from Yusuf Pathan, Gurkeerat Mann and captain Yuvraj Singh helped the Indian team overhaul the target with five balls to spare. Following the game, Harbhajan couldn’t control his emotions as he hugged Irfan.
“We won the Champions Trophy here, now we won the WCL as well – God has been kind,” said Suresh Raina after the win. Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Kamran Akmal (24 off 19) and Shoaib Maqsood (21 off 12) gave Pakistan a solid start, but regular wickets kept 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 seven. The middle-order collapsed and Misbah-ul-Haq was retired hurt after a brisk 18, late contributions from Sohail Tanvir (19 not out off 9) ensured Pakistan reached a respectable score.
Indian bowlers, led by Anureet Singh who clinched three wickets with support from R Vinay Kumar, Pawan Negi and Irfan Pathan (one wicket each) were instrumental in containing Pakistan’s batting lineup. In response, India Champions started their run chase with intent. Despite losing Robin Uthappa (10) early, Rayudu’s explosive 50 off 30 balls set the foundation for the chase for the Men in Blue.
Suresh Raina too departed cheaply for four in the same over, helping Pakistan make a comeback. But a strong partnership between Rayudu and Gurkeerat Singh Maan (34 off 33) kept India on track. Rayudu and Mann also departed in a space of 10 runs but the momentum stayed firmly in India’s favour with Yusuf Pathan’s blistering 30 off 16 balls before the latter was dismissed in the penultimate over.
With captain Yuvraj Singh (15 not out) and Irfan Pathan (5 not out) at the crease, India sealed the win, finishing at 159 for 5 in 19.1 overs, much to the delight of their fans. Pakistan’s bowlers, despite their best efforts, couldn’t halt India’s march towards the target. Aamer Yamin was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3-0-29-2, supported by Sohail Tanvir and Sohail Khan, who took one wicket each.
