India Champions vs West Indies Champions, AS IT HAPPENED: Chasing a stiff total of 145 in 14 overs, the India Champions found themselves in a high-pressure scenario during their final league match against West Indies Champions. With a semifinal spot on the line, India not only needed to win but had to reach the target within 14 overs to qualify on Net Run Rate (NRR) ahead of England.
By the end of the 12th over, India Champions were 121/5, still needing 24 runs in 12 balls to seal a semifinal berth, even though they technically had 48 deliveries left. Stuart Binny was the MOTM, unbeaten on a quickfire 51 off 21 balls.

In the 13th over, the momentum shifted dramatically. Fidel Edwards leaked 20 runs, courtesy of a wide, no-ball, a six, and a boundary from Yusuf Pathan. That over brought India to 141/5, leaving them just 4 runs needed off 6 balls to qualify.
With Binny and Pathan in control and only a handful of runs required, India eventually crossed the qualification mark in 13.2 overs, securing the crucial 4th spot on the points table and booking their place in the semifinals.
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A single and a six and Indiaaaa have qualified for the semis!!! They chase down the target in just 13.2 overs!
In the 13th over, Fidel Edwards conceded 20 runs with extras and boundaries. He started with a wide, followed by singles and doubles from Binny and Pathan. Yusuf Pathan smashed a six and finished the over with a boundary. Edwards also bowled two wides and a no-ball.
Score after 13 overs: India Champions 141/5
Stuart Binny: 49*(20)
Yusuf Pathan: 15*(6)
Fidel Edwards: 3-0-39-0
4 runs needed for India in 1.1 overs to qualify for semis
In the 12th over, Stuart Binny hammered two sixes off Dwayne Bravo before rotating strike. Yuvraj Singh was trapped LBW after scoring 21. Bravo also bowled a wide. India scored 16 runs but lost a key wicket.
Score after 12 overs: India Champions 121/5
Binny: 47*(18)
Pathan: 1*(1)
Bravo: 3-0-40-2
India need 24 runs in the next 2 overs to qualify for the semifinals,
In the 11th over, Sheldon Cottrell conceded 14 runs. Yuvraj smacked a six over deep square leg and rotated the strike well with singles. Binny followed up with a boundary through extra cover.
Score after 11 overs: India Champions 105/4
Binny: 33*(14)
Yuvraj: 21*(10)
Cottrell's final figures: 4-0-33-1
In the 10th over, Bravo gave away 9 runs. Yuvraj and Binny exchanged quick singles before Binny launched a six over extra cover. The over ended with two dot balls.
Score after 10 overs: India Champions 91/4
Binny: 27*(11)
Yuvraj: 13*(7)
Bravo's figures: 2-0-24-1
In the 9th over, Dwayne Smith conceded 15 runs. Yuvraj started with a boundary and added two singles. Binny followed with a single, a couple, and ended the over with a big six over deep mid-wicket.
Score after 9 overs: India Champions 82/4
Binny: 20*(7)
Yuvraj: 11*(5)
Smith's figures: 3-0-27-2
Dwayne Bravo started his spell by removing Suresh Raina with a return catch off the first ball, but conceded 15 runs in the over as Yuvraj and Binny counter-attacked with three boundaries.
Score after 8 overs: India Champions 67/4 (Binny 11, Yuvraj 5)**
Dwayne Smith removed Gurkeerat Singh in his second over, conceding just 4 runs including a wide. Binny joined Raina at the crease.
Score after 7 overs: India Champions 52/3 (Raina 7, Binny 1)**
Gurkeerat, Raina find boundaries
Gurkeerat Singh hit a four off the last ball while Raina also struck one earlier in the over. Cottrell gave away 10 runs in his final over.
Score after 6 overs: India Champions 48/2 (Gurkeerat 7, Raina 6)**
Smith removes Dhawan in eventful over
Dwayne Smith started with a wide and was then hit for a six by Shikhar Dhawan, but bounced back to dismiss him caught behind for 25 off 18 balls. The over also saw singles from Raina and Gurkeerat.
Score after 5 overs: India Champions 38/2 (Gurkeerat 2, Raina 1)**
Cottrell strikes as India Champions lose first wicket
Sheldon Cottrell delivered a tight 4th over, conceding just 3 runs and breaking the opening stand by dismissing Robin Uthappa for 8, caught at fine leg by Lendl Simmons. Gurkeerat Singh Mann joined Shikhar Dhawan at the crease.
Score after 4 overs: 29/1 (Dhawan 19, Gurkeerat 1)**
India Champions accelerate in the 3rd over
Fidel Edwards was taken apart as India Champions added 16 runs in the over. Shikhar Dhawan struck a four and a six off consecutive balls before rotating strike. Robin Uthappa finished the over with a boundary.
Score after 3 overs: 26/0 (Dhawan 17, Uthappa 8)**
India Champions off to a cautious start in 145 chase
After 2 overs, India Champions reached 10/0.
Robin Uthappa began with a couple and a single off Fidel Edwards, while Shikhar Dhawan got going with a boundary in the second over bowled by Sheldon Cottrell. Both openers played watchfully, keeping wickets intact.
Score: 10/0 (Dhawan 6, Uthappa 4)**
Shikhar Dhawan and Robin Uthappa open innings for India, Fidel Edwards has the new ball for the Windies! IND Need 145 runs to win!
In the 20th and final over, Varun Aaron bowled to Kieron Pollard. Pollard launched the first ball for a six over long-on, followed by two dot balls. On the fourth delivery, he took a single to mid-wicket, but it was ruled a short run. The fifth ball was another dot, but Pollard finished the innings in style with a six over backward square leg on the last delivery.
13 runs came from the final over.
West Indies Champions finished on 144/9 after 20 overs, with Kieron Pollard unbeaten on 74 off 43 balls and Sheldon Cottrell on 0.*
In the 19th over, Abhimanyu Mithun came back into the attack. The first ball was a dot, but Kieron Pollard then smashed back-to-back sixes-one over deep mid-wicket and the other over long-off. He followed up with two dot balls and took a single off the last delivery.
13 runs came from the over.
After 19 overs, West Indies Champions were 131/9, with Pollard on 61 off 37 balls and Sheldon Cottrell yet to score.
In the 18th over, Varun Aaron returned to the attack. Kieron Pollard started with a boundary to backward square leg. On the second ball, a run was taken but Nikita Miller was run out at the non-striker's end for 3 runs. Pollard then launched a massive six over deep mid-wicket. The next two deliveries were dot balls, followed by a single to end the over.
12 runs and 1 wicket (run out) came off the over.
West Indies Champions were 118/9 after 18 overs, with Pollard unbeaten on 48 off 31 and Sheldon Cottrell yet to face a ball.
In the 17th over, Pawan Negi bowled a tight spell. Kieron Pollard took a single on the first ball. Dave Mohammed was dismissed for 0, caught by Piyush Chawla at short third man on the third delivery. Nikita Miller, the new batter, added 2 runs and a single, while Pollard finished the over with another single. Only 5 runs came off the over, along with a crucial wicket. West Indies Champions were 106/8 after 17 overs.
In the 16th over, Piyush Chawla continued his impressive spell. Kieron Pollard started with a big six over long-on and then took a single. Ashley Nurse added 2 runs before being trapped lbw by Chawla for 8. Dave Mohammed came in and played out two dot balls. The over yielded 9 runs and a wicket, taking West Indies Champions to 101/7 after 16 overs.
From overs 13 to 15, West Indies Champions added 20 runs while losing Dwayne Bravo.
In the 13th over, Bravo was bowled by Pawan Negi for 9, though Pollard struck a six. The over went for 9 runs (72/6).
Chawla's 14th over saw Pollard hit a boundary and 4 byes helped the score to 81/6.
In the 15th, Pollard and Nurse added 11 runs with a boundary each off Negi, taking the total to 92/6.
Pawan Negi came into the attack to bowl his first over. He started with a dot ball to Dwayne Bravo, followed by another dot. On the third delivery, Bravo managed a single to sweeper cover, giving the strike to Kieron Pollard.
Pollard immediately went on the attack and smashed a six over long-on, showing his intent. He followed that with a single to mid-off.
Then came a dot ball to Bravo, but the bowler appeared to have a slight injury delay. When play resumed, Negi bowled a wide, adding an extra run. On the final delivery, Bravo was bowled, trying to play a shot but missing it completely.
A total of 9 runs came from the over, including a six and a wide, but Negi got the crucial wicket of Dwayne Bravo.
At the end of 13 overs, West Indies Champions were 72 for 6, with Pollard on 17 off 14 balls and Bravo dismissed for 9 off 20 balls.
Harbhajan Singh bowled the 12th over for India Champions. The over started with a big error - five wides were conceded as the ball went past the keeper, adding 5 extra runs to the West Indies Champions' total.
On the first legitimate delivery, Pollard took a single. Bravo then played out a dot ball, followed by a single to rotate strike.
Pollard was back on strike and played two dot balls, showing patience. But on the final ball of the over, he launched a big six over long-on, ending the over with a flourish.
In total, 13 runs came from the over.
At the end of 12 overs, the score was 63 for 5, with Kieron Pollard on 10 off 12 balls and Dwayne Bravo on 8 off 16 balls.
In the 8th over, Stuart Binny bowled to Dwayne Smith. After a dot ball and two runs, Smith tried to go big but was caught by Gurkeerat Singh at mid-wicket for 20 runs. Kieron Pollard came to the crease but couldn't score off the next three balls. The over ended with a wicket and no runs off the last three deliveries.
After 9 overs, the score was 43 for 5.
In the 9th over, Harbhajan Singh bowled tight lines. Dwayne Bravo faced most of the over, playing out two dot balls before taking a single. Pollard also got a single, while the rest were dot balls. Only 3 runs came from the over.
At the end of 10 overs, the score was 46 for 5.
In the 10th over, Binny continued and bowled economically. Bravo and Pollard played cautiously, picking up singles. There were four singles in the over, and two dot balls.
By the end of the 11th over, the score was 50 for 5, with Bravo on 7 off 14 balls and Pollard on 3 off 8 balls.
Piyush Chawla continued his spell with the 8th over. He kept things tight, giving away just 3 runs.
The over began with Dwayne Smith tapping the ball to short mid-wicket for a single. On the second ball, Dwayne Bravo played it to cover point and took one run. The third delivery was a dot as Smith couldn't beat the field. He managed a single to deep mid-wicket on the fourth ball. The last two deliveries were dots as Bravo failed to score.
At the end of 8 overs, West Indies Champions were 41 for 4. Dwayne Smith was batting on 18 off 18 balls, while Dwayne Bravo had 3 runs from 7 balls. Piyush Chawla's figures stood at 2 overs, 2 wickets for just 4 runs.
Stuart Binny was introduced into the attack for the seventh over. He bowled a tidy over, conceding only singles and a wide.
On the first delivery, Dwayne Smith worked the ball to mid-wicket for a single. The second ball saw Dwayne Bravo push it to extra cover for another run. Smith collected a single again off the third ball to mid-wicket. Bravo followed up with a run to cover on the fourth delivery. Smith took another single to mid-wicket on the fifth ball, rotating the strike consistently.
Binny then bowled a wide on the sixth delivery, but Bravo couldn't capitalize on the final legal ball of the over, playing a dot.
At the end of 7 overs, West Indies Champions moved to 38 for 4. Dwayne Smith was batting on 16 off 15 balls, while Dwayne Bravo was on 2 from 4 deliveries.
Piyush Chawla came into the attack in the sixth over and struck immediately for India Champions. On the first delivery, Dwayne Smith managed a single to short mid-wicket. The very next ball, Chawla bowled Lendl Simmons for just 2 off 11 deliveries, as Simmons misjudged a leg-break that crashed into the stumps.
William Perkins walked in but struggled against Chawla's spin. After two dot balls, Perkins was also bowled on the fifth delivery, departing for a duck (0 off 3). Dwayne Bravo then came to the crease and defended the final delivery without scoring. It was a remarkable over from Chawla, who finished with figures of 1 over, 1 run, and 2 wickets.
At the end of 6 overs, West Indies Champions were in deep trouble at 32 for 4. Dwayne Smith was on 13 off 12 balls, and Dwayne Bravo was yet to score.
From overs 2.1 to 5.0, the West Indies Champions struggled to build momentum after losing early wickets. Abhimanyu Mithun bowled a tight second over, conceding just two runs. Lendl Simmons played out most of the over with little success, managing only a single to cover, while Dwayne Smith got off the mark with a leg bye. Mithun kept things tight with four dot balls in the over.
Varun Aaron then came in for the third over and maintained pressure with a series of dot balls. Dwayne Smith, who had faced three consecutive dot deliveries, finally found release with a big six over long-on off the fourth ball. He followed that with a single, while Simmons defended the final delivery. Only seven runs came off the over.
In the fourth over, Mithun was back and was immediately put under pressure as Smith smashed the first delivery for a boundary to deep mid-wicket. Two leg byes followed, giving one run each. Mithun bowled a dot ball next, then conceded a wide before Smith collected a single. Simmons ended the over with a dot ball. The over yielded eight runs.
By the end of the fifth over, West Indies Champions were 31 for 2. Dwayne Smith had moved to 12 off 11 balls, while Lendl Simmons was struggling on 2 off 10. Despite the odd boundary, disciplined bowling from Mithun and Aaron kept the scoring in check during this phase.
Varun Aaron was introduced into the attack for the second over. He made an immediate impact, despite a dramatic sequence of events.
Chris Gayle started the over aggressively, hitting back-to-back boundaries-one to deep mid-wicket and another to third man. However, on the third delivery, Aaron bowled Gayle for 9, breaking the opening stand. Chadwick Walton came in next, but the fourth ball went for four byes past the keeper. On the very next delivery, Walton was caught behind by Uthappa, giving Aaron his second wicket of the over. Dwayne Smith then faced the final ball but couldn't score.
At the end of 2 overs, West Indies Champions were 14 for 2. Simmons remained on 1 (2), while Smith was yet to score. Aaron's fiery over read 1-0-8-2.
India Champions began the match with Abhimanyu Mithun opening the bowling. Lendl Simmons and Chris Gayle opened for West Indies Champions, with Simmons taking first strike.
Simmons got off the mark with a single on the second ball. Gayle then faced four deliveries, defending three before taking a single off the last ball.
At the end of the first over, West Indies were 2 for no loss. Simmons was on 1 (2) and Gayle on 1 (4), with Mithun conceding just 2 runs.
We are underway!! Lendl Simmons and Chris Gayle open the innings for the West Indies, while Abhimanyu Mithun has the new ball for India. Let's play!
A comprehensive victory-not just by result but by significantly improving their Net Run Rate-could keep a faint glimmer of hope alive for a place in the semi-finals. Despite a disappointing campaign so far, a strong finish could restore some pride and momentum.
Meanwhile, West Indies Champions find themselves just one spot above India in the points table. With a modest return from their matches, this fixture becomes all the more vital for them. A win here could strengthen their bid for a spot in the knockout phase. The Caribbean side will be aware that a poor outing might end their run in the competition, making this game a virtual do-or-die situation.
This will also mark the first time the two teams meet at Grace Road in this edition of the WCL. The surface at Leicester has typically favoured stroke play, especially during the early overs. Batters are expected to enjoy the pace and bounce on offer, particularly under good overhead conditions. However, seam bowlers might extract some early movement with the new ball, making the first few overs critical for both sides. As the game progresses, the pitch could slow down, bringing spinners into the equation with some grip and turn likely to develop in the second innings.
All eyes will be on both camps as they battle not just for points, but for pride and progression. With so much riding on the result, a high-intensity contest can be expected in Leicester.
India Champions Squad: Robin Uthappa(w), Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Yuvraj Singh(c), Stuart Binny, Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, Piyush Chawla, Pawan Negi, Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun, Harbhajan Singh, Siddarth Kaul, Varun Aaron, Gurkeerat Singh Mann.
West Indies Champions Squad: Dwayne Smith, Chris Gayle(c), Lendl Simmons, Chadwick Walton(w), William Perkins, Dwayne Bravo, Ashley Nurse, Dave Mohammed, Kieron Pollard, Sheldon Cottrell, Shannon Gabriel, Sulieman Benn, Nikita Miller, Fidel Edwards, Shivnarine Chanderpaul.