Chhattisgarh Warriors Claim Legend 90 League Title by Defeating Rajasthan Kings in Final
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Synopsis
On Feb 18, the Chhattisgarh Warriors triumphed in the inaugural Legend 90 League by defeating the Rajasthan Kings in a thrilling final at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium. Chasing 160, they clinched victory with a dramatic last-ball boundary, led by Rishi Dhawan's outstanding performance.
Key Takeaways
- Chhattisgarh Warriors won the inaugural Legend 90 League.
- They defeated Rajasthan Kings in a nail-biting final.
- Rishi Dhawan scored an unbeaten 76 runs.
- Last-ball heroics led to the Warriors' victory.
- The final took place at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium.
Raipur, Feb 18 (NationPress) Chhattisgarh Warriors emerged victorious as the champions of the inaugural Legend 90 League after an exhilarating last-ball win against Rajasthan Kings at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium on Monday. The Warriors achieved a successful chase of a target of 160 in front of their enthusiastic home crowd, clinching the trophy in a thrilling manner.
Choosing to bowl first, the Warriors sent the Kings to bat. Openers Asad Pathan (38) and Phil Mustard (34) provided a solid start, forming a partnership of 76 runs.
However, the Warriors took control during the middle overs, restricting the run rate. Rajat Singh, maintaining his outstanding form, contributed a vital late innings boost with an unbeaten 27 off 17 balls, while Manpreet Gony hit a six on the last ball, leading Rajasthan to a competitive score of 159/4 in 90 balls. Pawan Negi spearheaded the Warriors’ bowling with two wickets, while Siddharth Kaul and Kalim Khan each took one wicket.
In their pursuit of 160, Chhattisgarh faced early setbacks as Ankit Rajpoot dismissed Martin Guptill and skipper Gurkeerat Singh Mann in quick succession, leaving them struggling at 13/2. Nevertheless, Rishi Dhawan, the standout player, stabilized the innings despite a near miss when Manpreet Gony dropped his catch. Dhawan, along with Sheldon Jackson, added 57 pivotal runs before Tyagi disrupted the partnership by dismissing Jackson. Shortly after, Rahul Shukla sent Pawan Negi back to the pavilion, shifting the momentum back to Rajasthan.
Despite losing wickets around him, Dhawan remained steady and reached an impressive half-century. Peter Trego and Manan Sharma fell for low scores, leaving the Warriors requiring 33 runs from the final 11 balls. At this crucial moment, Abhimanyu Mithun turned the match on its head, hitting 22 runs in just five balls during the second-to-last over bowled by Rahul Shukla.
With only 11 runs needed in the last over, Dhawan quickly notched up 10 runs off the first three deliveries. However, the match took another twist as Chhattisgarh lost two wickets rapidly, leading to a nail-biting finish requiring one run from the final delivery. Siddharth Kaul rose to the challenge, hitting the ball to the boundary to secure a sensational victory.
Rishi Dhawan’s unbeaten 76 off 40 balls was the key to success as the Chhattisgarh Warriors lifted the first-ever Legend 90 League trophy amidst the cheers of a jubilant home crowd.
