World Championship of Legends 2024: A treat awaits the spectators as India Champions set up summit clash with Pakistan Champions

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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 here on Friday (July 12).

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.

Pakistan vs West Indies - Semi-Final 1

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. Ashley Nurse tried to steady the ship with 21 off 23 balls, but the Pakistan bowlers held their nerve in the death overs. Sohail Khan and Saeed Ajmal were particularly effective, taking crucial wickets and applying pressure.

Sohail Khan claimed 3 wickets for 30 runs, while Saeed Ajmal and Yasir Arafat picked up 2 wickets each for Pakistan Champions against the Men in Maroon. 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.

India vs Australia Champions - 2nd Semi-Final

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.

Wicketkeeper-batter Robin Uthappa set the tone with a blazing 65 off 35 balls, laced with six fours and four sixes. Yuvraj played a captain's knock, smashing 59 off just 28 balls, while Yusuf Pathan and Irfan Pathan added fireworks lower down the order with unbeaten scores of 51 off 23 balls and 50 off 19 balls respectively.

The Australian bowlers, particularly Peter Siddle, who took 4 wickets for 57 runs, struggled to contain the onslaught from the Indian batsmen. In response, the Australia Champions' run chase faltered early with the quick dismissals of Shaun Marsh (2) and Ben Dunk (10). Despite efforts from Aaron Finch (16) and Callum Ferguson (23), the required run rate kept escalating.

Tim Paine remained unbeaten on 40 off 32 balls, and Nathan Coulter-Nile's 30 off 13 balls provided a late surge, but their effort wasn't enough. The Indian bowlers, led by Rahul Shukla (2/25), Dhawal Kulkarni (2/43), and Pawan Negi (2/35), kept the pressure on, ensuring 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.

The final between India and Pakistan will be played on Saturday (March 13) at the very venue from 9:30 PM IST.

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.

(Press Release)