Northampton(PNP)
India Champions and Pakistan Champions came out victorious in their respective semi-final encounters to set up a thrilling summit clash in the World Championship of Legends 2024 at County Ground.
Pakistan Champions edged West Indies by 20 runs while India Champions registered a comprehensive 86-run victory over Australia Champions in the second semi-final.
In first Semi Final West Indies captain Darren Sammy won the toss and opted to field first, putting Pakistan Champions, led by Younis Khan, to bat. The Men in Green set a formidable total of 195 for 8 in their 20 overs.
Kamran Akmal was the standout performer with the bat, scoring a quickfire 48 off 31 balls. Contributions from Shoaib Malik (39 off 24) and Tanvir (40 off 18) bolstered the innings, despite disciplined bowling from the West Indies, especially Jerome Taylor and S Benn, who picked up two wickets each.
West Indies Champions, chasing a target of 196, started their innings on a positive note. Dwayne Smith led the charge with a rapid 28 off 14 balls, supported by Chris Gayle’s 27 off 19 balls. However, their efforts were not enough to chase down the target as wickets fell at regular intervals.
Sohail Khan claimed 3 wickets for 30 runs, while Saeed Ajmal and Yasir Arafat picked up 2 wickets each for Pakistan. The West Indies’ batting lineup struggled to build partnerships, and despite some late resistance from the lower order, they fell short, finishing at 175 for 10 in 19.5 overs.
In the second semi-final, India Champions outclassed the Australia Champions by a huge 86-run-margin. After being invited to bat first, the Yuvraj Singh-led side put up a dominant performance to post a formidable total of 254 for 6 in allotted 20 overs.
The Australian innings never gained momentum. The India Champions’ bowlers executed their plans to perfection, ultimately restricting Australia Champions to 168 for 7 in their 20 overs.
Now Pakistan and India meet in final.
Brief scores:
Pakistan Champions 195/8 in 20 overs (Kamran Akmal 48, Shoaib Malik 39, Jerome Taylor 2/29) beat West Indies Champions 175 all out (Dwayne Smith 28, Chris Gayle 27, Sohail Khan 3/30) by 20 runs.
India Champions 254/6 in 20 overs (Robin Uthappa 65, Yuvraj Singh 59, Yusuf Pathan 51*, Irfan Pathan 50; Peter Siddle 4/57) beat Australia Champions 168/7 in 20 overs (Tim Paine 40*, Nathan Coulter-Nile 30; Rahul Shukla 2/25, Dhawal Kulkarni 2/43, Pawan Negi 2/35) by 86 runs.
Pakistan and India Champions will meet WCL’s Final 