Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], March 9 (ANI): India Masters finalized their preparations for the semifinals of the International Masters League (IML) 2025 by securing a spectacular seven-run victory against West Indies Masters to start the final stage of the tournament in Raipur on Saturday.
The home team relied on a three-wicket burst by Stuart Binny and a clever final over by Irfan Pathan to secure victory in the high-scoring match.
One of cricket's most iconic rivalries--Sachin Tendulkar vs Brian Lara--stepped aside, but the match still met expectations, offering a thrilling mix of nostalgia and electrifying action. The India Masters set the pace with a dominant batting performance, led by Ambati Rayudu and Saurabh Tiwary's scorching half-centuries, before Yuvraj Singh's late-game fireworks propelled them to a formidable 253/3.
The home team, led by stand-in captain Yuvraj Singh, chose to bat first after Lara won the toss. With the new opening duo of Ambati Rayudu (63) and Saurabh Tiwary (60) facing off against Dwayne Smith's fast-paced bowling, the match took on a new character - a fresh set of seasoned players seeking to carry on the legacy in front of a large weekend crowd led by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.
India's batting began strongly as Rayudu and Tiwary handled the early movement in the pitch, which had a slight greenish tint. Rayudu, after initially receiving a lucky escape, aggressively countered the West Indies Masters, hitting boundaries at will and dominating the spinners Ashley Nurse and Sulieman Benn to reach a half-century in just 30 balls.
However, just as Rayudu seemed likely to dominate the game, Benn responded by dismissing him, breaking the 94-run opening partnership with his wicket. Rayudu's 35-ball innings included eight fours and four sixes. Meanwhile, Tiwary batted steadily and went on to score a half-century in 32 balls. In the process, his 79-run second wicket partnership with Gurkeerat Singh Mann (46) continued to gain momentum at a rapid pace, propelling India Masters past 150 by the 14th over.
The West Indies Masters continued to struggle as Gurkeerat led the charge, hitting two massive sixes and a boundary off Jonathan Carter. However, Carter managed to get his revenge, bowling out Gurkeerat just four runs shy of a half-century. The over could have been even more productive for the bowler, but a dropped catch by Lendl Simmons prevented Tiwary from reaching 52.
The left-handed Tiwary attempted to make the most of his reprieve, striking Jerome Taylor for a six, but his attempt to push the pace further ultimately proved costly as he was dismissed by the same bowler after hitting seven boundaries and two maximums. In the latter stages, Yuvraj wasted no time in asserting his dominance with a 20-ball unbeaten 49, and the intense assault led to an undefeated 67-run partnership with Yusuf Pathan (14 not out), which ultimately helped India achieve a massive total.
In response, the West Indies Masters matched India's aggressive approach with a powerful start. Dwayne Smith (79) and William Perkins (52) launched a fierce counterattack, hitting destructive fifties and forging a menacing 121-run opening partnership. However, just when the visitors seemed in command, Binny's introduction changed the momentum, his crucial wickets sending the West Indies Masters' chase off course and leading India to a memorable victory.
As the morning dew settled, Smith achieved a half-century in just 22 deliveries, and then continued to score 20 runs in an over off Irfan Pathan. Perkins soon joined him in the attack, hitting Pawan Negi over the long-on boundary to reach his own fifty in 23 deliveries. However, Negi made the breakthrough on the very next ball, taking a high return catch to dismiss Perkins, ending the destructive partnership.
A newcomer, Lendl Simmons, took the six-hitting contest to a new level, destroying Rahul Sharma with five huge sixes and a boundary in just one over, scoring an astonishing 34 runs to propel the visitors to a score of 156 for one at the halfway point. However, India Masters regained some hope through Negi, who ended Simmons' devastating attack at 38 runs off just 12 deliveries.
Binny then delivered the much-needed breakthrough, deceiving Smith with a well-disguised knuckleball after the explosive opener had slammed seven fours and six massive sixes in his 34-ball rampage. The medium pacer further swung the momentum in India's favor by dismissing the menacing Jonathan Carter (11) and Kirk Edwards (4). Joining forces with the tourists needing another 69, Ashley Nurse (21 not out) and Narsingh Deonarine (28) kept their cool to bring down the equation to 24 off the final over, before Pathan used his experience to limit them to 246/6, which included a first-ball boundary from Brian Lara.
Brief Scores: India Masters 253/3 (Ambati Rayudu 63, Saurabh Tiwary 60, Suleiman Benn 1/34) vs West Indies Masters 246/6 (Dwayne Smith 79, William Perkins 52, Stuart Binny 3/13), (ANI)