Welcome to Sportstar‘s Coverage of the Legends League Cricket match between India Maharajas and World Giants. This was Lalith Kalidas bringing you the updates as action unfurls at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman.

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Score

IMR 209/3 (20)

WGS 210/7 (19.3)

The exuberant competitor in the 42-year-old Imran Tahir never dies. After going wicketless in both matches, Tahir has defied all odds to hand his side a much-needed win right before his departure for the PSL 2022. “The Giants will him”, says Pietersen. The Legends have not left anything off the field and all 22 men have given their all tonight. Tough luck for Naman Ojha, whose sensational knock of 140 has gone in vain.

Legends League Cricket: Imran Tahir fifty helps World Giants stun India Maharajas

 

WGS 210/7 in 19.3 overs: SIX! Tahir clubs the first ball for a massive shot over mid-wicket! WGS needs 6 off 5! He pumps his chest and signals towards the dressing room. A slog sweep to mid-wicket but Tahir retains the strike without taking a run. Smashed down the ground for SIX and Tahir completes a sensational heist! He brings up his fifty of 19 deliveries as the Maharajas concede a three-wicket win for the Giants in an absolute thriller.

Giants need 12 off 6 balls! RP Singh has left the field with a niggle, so has Badani. Kaif has to call in Venugopal Rao for the final over.

WGS 198/7 in 19 overs: Munaf starts with a wide. Sidebottom knocks the ball to sweeper cover for a single. Munaf strays to the pads and Tahir clips it down leg and it’s dropped by the sub fielder at short fine leg. Sidebottom hands the strike back to Tahir with another single to long-on. Full and straight and Tahir drills it to the long-on boundary for FOUR! Tahir nudges to point and finds the single before Sidebottom crunches the final delivery for FOUR through mid-wicket!

Munaf Patel to bowl out. 25 needed off 12 balls.

WGS 185/7 in 18 overs: Tahir keeps the Giants alive. He flays the off-side fence as Gony’s overpitched deliveries are sliced for three sixes. Well, who saw that coming?

WGS 163/7 in 17 overs: Binny to Morkel. OUT! Caught at long-on! The slower one does the trick as Morkel’s drag pull does not clear the fence and instead finds skipper Kaif at the deep. Safe as you like and the Giants slip further. Tahir skies another and Rao drops another catch at sweeper cover. 

Morne Morkel c Kaif b Binny 21 (15b 1×4 2×6)

WGS 159/6 in 16 overs: Do not count them out, just yet! Morkel lifts another delivery from the slot for SIX over mid-wicket. Morne goes for another biggie and Munaf Patel drops an easy grab at long-off. Badani concedes 11 runs in the over. The chase is well within possible limits as the Giants need 51 from four overs.

WGS 148/6 in 15 overs: Morkel targets the mid-wicket fence and clears it with ease as he puts his long levers to tonk Rao’s length delivery for SIX.

WGS 138/6 in 14 overs: Munaf cleans up Sammy! Full and straight and the ball smashes into the stumps as Sammy aims for a huge heave through the on-side. Is that the game right there for India? Imran Tahir walks in next and clips the first ball to the mid-wicket boundary. Tahir backs up with another FOUR through backward point to finish the over.

Daren Sammy b Patel 28 (11b 1×4 3×6)

Munaf replaces Badani

WGS 124/5 in 13 overs: Sammy hammers Gony’s length deliveries over the mid-wicket fence for back-to-back SIXES! A couple of singles to follow and Sammy’s back on strike. Sammy aims for another six over cover and fails to get the desired distance. Venugopal Rao sets himself underneath the ball at the deep cover fence but spills a sitter!

Gony is back

WGS 109/5 in 12 overs: Badani knocks over Haddin. An almost mirror image of the Morkel dismissal as Haddin steps out to the left-armer and misses a ball that pitches in the slot. The wickets continue to tumble and so does the Giants’ chase.  Sammy clubs Badani for a powerful SIX down the ground.  Brad Haddin b Badani 21 (13b 2×6)

Badani returns

WGS 100/4 in 11 overs: The batters rotate strike with singles. Four in a row. OUT! Rao foxes Morkel with a loopy slower one. Morkel shimmies down the track and misses the delivery and Ojha does the rest behind the stumps. Skipper Sammy walks in at 6. 

Albie Morkel st †Ojha b Venugopal Rao 4 (8b)

Venugopal Rao into the attack

WGS 95/3 in 10 overs: Badrinath bowls a couple of  loopy deliveries and Haddin whacks them out of the ground for two much-needed sixes. 17 runs come off it and the Giants’ chase is back on track.

Equation: WGS needs 132 in 66 balls. Haddin and Albie Morkel at the crease. Badrinath up with the ball now.

WGS 78/3 in 9 overs: Pietersen thumps Binny for a glorious SIX over mid-wicket. He goes for another one and gets a top-edge that goes straight up. OUT! Mohammed Kaif completes a fine catch as ever, taking a skier with utmost ease. Pietersen’s fine knock has come to an untimely end and the Giants continue to lose wickets at regular intervals.  Kevin Pietersen c Kaif b Binny 53 (27b 2×4 6×6)

WGS 71/2 in 8 overs: KP in full flow! Gony’s half-tracker is sweetly deposited over the mid-wicket fence by Pietersen. He follows up with another boundary and is pressing hard on the pedal.

WGS 59/2 in 7 overs: Pietersen greets Badani with two handsome sixes on either side of the wicket.

WGS 42/2 in 6 overs: Edged and taken by Ojha. Gony strikes in his first over as Anderson’s weary innings comes to a tame end. India in firm control as the PowerPlay comes to an end.

WGS 40/1 in 5 overs: A slight delay caused by an injury to Trott. He walks back retired hurt with a possibility of cramps. Binny completes an excellent over as the new man, Corey Anderson, struggles to find his timing.

WGS 39/1 in 4 overs: Pietersen launches his classic flicks and smacks two gorgeous sixes over the mid-wicket boundary.

WGS 24/1 in 3 overs: Binny replaces Singh. Pietersen and Trott find the gaps and earn their first boundaries.

WGS 13/1 in 2 overs: Wide to start with. Munaf fends short and O’brien slaps it through mid-wicket for FOUR. Munaf follows up with a fuller delivery and this time O’brien drills him down the ground for another FOUR. Short and O’brien pulls it straight to the mid-wicket fielder! A superb running catch from Venugopal Rao. The ball flies sharply towards the fence and Rao swiftly covers a few yards to his right and pouches the ball as he slides to the ground. Munaf has the last laugh as O’brien falls early. Kevin O’Brien c Venugopal Rao b Patel 9 (6b 2×4)

Munaf Patel from the opposite end

WGS 2/0 in 1 over: Singh starts with a wry wide delivery outside but Pietersen goes across and thuds it straight to mid-off. RP finds a hint of swing and he splits Pietersen’s swing in half. Beaten again. Singh moves the ball in from the length as Pietersen attempts to flick him through mid-wicket but fails. A single to finally open his account.

Kevin Pietersen and Kevin O’brien open for the Giants. RP Singh with the new ball.

Back for the chase.

The Maharajas were reeling at 15 for two in 1.3 overs with Ryan Sidebottom dismissing Wasim Jaffer and Badrinath off successive deliveries for ducks. Skipper Kaif walked into ease the nerves, but it was Naman Ojha who flipped the scales all by himself.  Ojha chose to counter-attack from the onset and reaped rewards almost instantly with the Giants’ bowlers struggling to bowl in consistent lines.

IMR 209/3 in 20 overs: Morne Morkel for the final over. Three singles and Ojha eventually holes out to a brilliant catch from Imran Tahir at deep mid-wicket. Phenomenal innings with sumptuous strokes from the wicketkeeper. Yusuf is the new man. Pathan finishes off in style with a massive six down the ground!

Naman Ojha c Imran Tahir b M Morkel 140 (69b 15×4 9×6)

IMR 199/2 in 19 overs: O’brien wafts one in outside off and Ojha elegantly lofts it over cover for SIX! Another half-tracker and Ojha slams it over long-on for SIX once again. Kaif is back on strike and he gets a single to complete his FIFTY. Six more to Ojha as he lifts another loosener down the ground. He finishes the over with another FOUR over point. Absolute carnage this against the Giants who have just dished out length deliveries on the counter.

IMR 175/2 in 18 overs: Sidebottom strays to the pads and Ojha tucks it past short fine leg for FOUR. Short this time and Ojha swats it down the ground for another FOUR!

Sidebottom returns

IMR 163/2 in 17 overs: O’brien is back and Ojha glides one fine to the third man boundary for FOUR. A thick outside-edge to the third-man boundary once again and it’s 100 for Naman Ojha off 57 deliveries! He celebrates the ton with another SIX with an excellent lofted drive over the square.

IMR 146/2 in 16 overs: Ojha into the 90s! Morkel overpitches and Ojha easily thumps it down the ground for SIX! Well on course for a ton here now.

IMR 133/2 in 15 overs: Tahir keeps it tight as he finds the right length to keep the batters in check. Five singles from the over.

Tahir returns

IMR 128/2 in 14 overs: Morne returns. Morne hits the length and Kaif slams the ball over mid-wicket for SIX. Excellent comeback from Morkel as he zips through Kaif’s defence with a beauty. Kaif gets a single with a pull to mid-wicket.

IMR 118/2 in 13 overs: Ojha needling the gaps. O’brien offers a hint of room outside off and Ojha parries the ball over the point fielder for another FOUR.

O’brien into the attack

IMR 111/2 in 12 overs: Albie fends short and Kaif slams him down the ground for a massive SIX! Hundred up for the Indians. The duo has done well to carry out the recovery act while keeping the run-rate intact.

IMR 99/2 in 11 overs: Ojha on fire. Sammy is greeted with a four through mid-wicket and two massive sixes on the on-side by Ojha. 19 runs come off the over.

IMR 80/2 in 10 overs:  FIFTY for Naman Ojha! He brings it up with another backfoot square cut for FOUR off Tahir. India is coasting along now and Sammy’s men continue to search for wickets.

Tahir continues

IMR 73/2 in 9 overs: Short from Albie and Kaif smashes it over the mid-wicket ropes for SIX!  The skipper is joining in for the big hits and India will hope to up the ante from here after the timeout.

Albie Morkel into the attack

IMR 63/2 in 8 overs: Ojha’s picking up the pace and finding the gaps more frequently. Tahir drops short outside off and Ojha rocks back for fierce cut to the point boundary for FOUR.

IMR 54/2 in 7 overs: Hoggard wafts the ball in gently on length and the batters exchange strike with singles. Hoggard fends one a tad short and Ojha swivels to pull it to backward square leg for FOUR. Bang goes Ojha again bowls in the slot. He swings his arms and sends the ball over the long-on boundary for SIX. And that’s fifty up for the Indians.

Hoggard returns

IMR 40/2 in 6 overs: Morne keeps it tight on the stumps, cramping Ojha for room. Three dots on the trot. Morkel bumps one to the ribs and Ojha tucks it straight to Hoggard at short fine leg who drops a low catch!

Morne from the opposite end

IMR 37/2 in 5 overs: Tahir starts with a loosener down leg that beats Haddin to the boundary for five wides. Ojha follows up with a slog sweep to mid-wicket for FOUR. He gets a single and Kaif gets his first boundary with a cheeky late cut past backward point for FOUR. Tough start for the leggie tonight.

Tahir replaces Morne

IMR 22/2 in 4 overs: Sidebottom squares up Kaif with a cracking in-swinger from over the wicket. The ball cuts him in half and nearly hits the top of off. Kaif gets off strike with as single. Ojha receives room and he thumps Sidebottom over mid-on for FOUR.

IMR 17/2 in 3 overs: Morkel hits the deck hard and forces Kaif to scramble for a single. Anderson quickly picks the ball and has a shy at the non-striker’s end but misses. Kaif nowhere in frame, a sure goner if it had hit the stumps. Ojha nearly chops on! Morkel pushes in a sharp off-cutter that cuts in to the inside-edge and almost back onto the stumps. Just the run off the over.

Morne Morkel replaces Hoggard

IMR 16/2 in 2 overs: Sidebottom to Jaffer. OUT! Edged and taken by Haddin! Sidebottom takes the ball across the deck and Jaffer gets a sharp edge flying straight to the wicketkeeper. He falls for nought and Badrinath walks in at 3. And there’s another! A cracking inswinger striking the pads and the umpire raises the finger. Badrinath opts for a review but that looks plumb in front. Three reds on replay and gone. Two in two for Sidebottom!  Skipper Kaif walks in at 4. Sidebottom cramps the batter with a cracking line as the ball moves in sharply to the stumps on length.

Wasim Jaffer c †Haddin b Sidebottom 0 (2b); S Badrinath lbw b Sidebottom 0 (1b)

Sidebottom from the opposite end

IMR 14/0 in 1 over: Hoggard to Ojha. Edged first ball! A gentle outswinger from Hoggard and Ojha opens the face of the bat and gets a streaky outside edge sailing past Daren Sammy at first slip. The Englishman’s still got it. Hoggard shapes one away from length to beat the outside-edge. And Ojha counters with a huge SIX over long-on! A tad too slow in the slot from Hoggard and he pays the price. Loose on the pads and Ojha flicks it past square leg for FOUR to finish the first over.

Here we go! Wasim Jaffer and Naman Ojha to open for India.  Matthew Hoggard with the new ball for the Giants.

A much bigger challenge for the Maharajas in the absence of Irfan Pathan, who shone in both departments on Thursday.  The Giants look stacked and it will be a decent contest for the Indian veterans tonight.

India Maharajas XI: Naman Ojha (w), Wasim Jaffer, S Badrinath, Hemang Badani, Venugopal Rao, Mohammad Kaif (c), Yusuf Pathan, Stuart Binny, RP Singh, Manpreet Gony, Munaf Patel

World Giants XI: Kevin Pietersen, Kevin O’Brien, Jonathan Trott, Corey Anderson, Brad Haddin, Daren Sammy, Albie Morkel, Imran Tahir, Morne Morkel, Ryan Sidebottom, Matthew Hoggard

Pitch Report: The surface seems rock solid with a smattering of grass.
The batters are in for a treat.

TOSS: World Giants wins toss, opts to bowl

TOSS incoming….

7-18PM IST: We are moments away from the toss. Will be interesting to see if the teams will opt for any changes tonight.

Match Review – India Maharajas vs Asia Lions

In a stellar start to its campaign, India Maharajas defeated Asia Lions in the inaugural match of the Legends League Cricket in Muscat on Friday.

Led by the powerful display of the Pathan brothers, Irfan and Yusuf, the Maharajas romped home by six wickets in a 176-run chase against the Lions.

Yusuf Pathan stole the show with his 40-ball 80 in the Indian chase that fell to a spot of bother before he arrived at the crease.

The Maharajas top-order was derailed by a veteran Lions attack that comprised Shoaib Akhtar, Nuwan Kulasekara and Umar Gul. India openers Naman Ojha and Stuart Binny fell cheaply while S Badrinath was run-out without opening his account by spin ace Muttiah Muralitharan within the PowerPlay.

HIGHLIGHTS

Yusuf soon joined skipper Mohammed Kaif with the Maharajas requiring 142 runs in under 14 overs. Yusuf tore into the bowling attack with powerful strokes against the seamers before taking on the spinners, Muralitharan and Mohammad Hafeez. He brought up his fifty in style with a six in the 15th over of the chase and was all set to take India home before being run-out on 80 off 40 deliveries, an innings laced with nine fours and five sixes.

Kaif (42 n.o.) and Irfan Pathan (21 n.o.) then proceeded to seal the chase without breaking a sweat in the final over of the chase.

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Earlier in the evening, the veteran Indian side won the toss and sent the Misbah-ul-Haq led Asian side into bat. The Lions lost regular wickets up-front, with Irfan (2/21) and Munaf Patel (1/25) keeping a lid on the scoring rate. However, a fine fifty from former Sri Lanka opener Upul Tharanga (66) and an able cameo from skipper Misbah (44) took the Lions to 175 for seven in 20 overs.

The Asia Lions will take on the World Giants in the second match of the tournament on Saturday. The Giants will then face the Maharajas on Sunday.

Brief Scores: IMR 179/4 in 19.1 overs (Yusuf 80, Kaif 42*, Akhtar 1/21) beat ALN 175/7 in 20 overs (Tharanga 66, Misbah 44, Gony 3/45, Irfan 2/22)

World Giants vs Asia Lions – Match 2

The World Giants began its LLC campaign in defeat as it went down to a rejuvenated Asia Lions on Friday. The Daren Sammy-led Giants got off to a brilliant start after being sent into bat.  The team posted a daunting 205 for seven on the board with Ireland’s Kevin O Brien steering the innings with a stunning 46-ball 95 with seven sixes and as many fours.

In reply, the Lions chase was set in motion by fifties from opener Tillakaratne Dilshan (52) and Upul Tharanga (63). Later, cameos from Mohammed Hafeez (27), Asghar Afghan (14*) and skipper Misbah (19*) took the side home in the final over with six wickets to spare, thereby earning the Lions its first win in the tournament.

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Squads

India Maharajas team squad: Virender Sehwag (c), Naman Ojha (wk), Yusuf Pathan, S Badrinath, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Manpreet Gony, Munaf Patel, RP Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Hemang Badani, Mohammad Kaif, Harbhajan Singh, Venugopal Rao, Stuart Binny, Sanjay Bangar, Nayan Mongia, Amit Bhandari World Giants team squad: Kevin Pietersen, Phil Mustard(w), Kevin O Brien, Corey Anderson, Owais Shah, Daren Sammy(c), Albie Morkel, Imran Tahir, Morne Morkel, Monty Panesar, Ryan Jay Sidebottom, Jonathan Trott, Brett Lee, Brad Haddin, Brendan Taylor, Daniel Vettori, Herschelle Gibbs, Jonty Rhodes India Maharajas vs World Giants Dream11 Fantasy Team Wicketkeeper – Brad Haddin (wk) Batters – Wasim Jaffer, Kevin Pietersen, Daren Sammy All-rounders – Yusuf Pathan (c), Kevin O’brien (vc), Albie Morkel, Bowlers – Manpreet Gony, RP Singh, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir Team Composition: INM 4-7 WGS Credits left: 2.0

Where to watch India Maharajas vs World Giants, Legends League Cricket 2022 match?

The live broadcast of the Legends League Cricket 2022 will be available on Sony Ten 1 and Sony Ten 3 . You can catch the live commentary on Sportstar.