India vs Pakistan, WCL: Pakistan claim top spot after thrashing India Champions

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India faced Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends on Saturday, July 6, at Edgbaston. The match saw former cricket stars from both nations reignite their historic rivalry in an intense showdown.

Pakistan Champions emerged victorious by 68 runs as they toppled the India Champions to claim the summit spot in the points table.

India vs Pakistan - Legends WC

Pakistan champs had a stormy start with Kamran Akmal and Sharjeel Khan. The pair added 145 runs for the first wicket in just 65 balls. Akmal scored 77 runs off just 40 balls while Sharjeel amassed 72 runs off just 30 balls. The duo hit nine sixes in total as Pakistan were cruising. Sohaib Maqsood came up next and scored 51 runs. Shoaib Malik also played a decent cameo as Pakistan posted a mountain of runs.

India champs won the toss and captain Harbhajan Singh chose to bowl first in front of a packed Edgbaston crowd. Pakistan champs scored 243 for 5 in their allotted 20 overs. All of the India bowlers were expensive, and RP Singh, Anureet Singh, Dhawal Kulkarni, and Pawan Nego got one wicket each.

In the run chase, India had a good start with Robin Uthappa and Ambati Rayudu. But Uthappa departed for 22 runs. Rayudu and Suresh Raina stitched a decent partnership of 61 runs. Rayudu scored 39 off 23 balls while Suresh Raina scored 52 runs off 40 deliveries.

But a middle-order collapse put Pakistan in the front seat. Impact player Yuvraj Singh only scored 14 runs while Yusuf Pathan scored a duck as India was tottering at 142 for 6. Shoaib Malik and Wahab Riaz were the architects of Pakistan's bowling with three wickets each. Shoaib Malik got the key wickets of Rayudu and Yuvraj to dent India's chances massively.

Anureet Singh played a few shots at the end and scored a handy 20 runs but it was far from enough as India could only manage 175 for 9 in their full quota of overs.

Pakistan won the match by 68 runs and thus moved to the summit of the points table with six points in three matches. India suffered their first defeat of the tournament and stay third in the table with four points in three matches.