Pawan Negi’s outstanding century played a crucial role in VVIP Uttar Pradesh’s victory over Mumbai Champions by six wickets in the final match of the Indian Veteran Premier League (IVPL) held at Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex on Sunday.
Negi hammered 105 runs in just 55 deliveries, while Parvinder Singh contributed with 51 runs off 34 deliveries, leading VVIP Uttar Pradesh to victory as champions of the first edition of the league.
VVIP chose to field first
Mumbai Champions, batting first, faced a setback when they lost their opener Nirwan Attri in the initial over. Phil Mustard and Abhishek Jhunjhunwala then formed a 67-run partnership for the second wicket during a drizzle that paused play for an hour.
Sloppy Fielding by VVIP
VVIP missed five catches on the field, giving Mumbai batsmen the opportunity to excel. If they had caught those chances, Mumbai Champions wouldn’t have scored as much in the end.
Inclement Weather Stopped play briefly
Due to the rain, the match was briefly halted but resumed an hour later with both teams vying for the trophy. Interestingly, despite the interruption, overs were not reduced. It was agreed that it would be a complete game with each team allocated 20 overs.
Fearless batting by Mustard and Trego
After the fall of the second wicket, Mustard and captain Peter Trego formed a partnership that yielded 100 runs, pushing the team’s total past 150. Mustard left the field after scoring 76 runs off 45 deliveries, hitting 8 fours and 3 sixes. Meanwhile, Trego maintained his aggressive play as Mumbai Champions crossed the 200-run milestone in the last over. Wickets continued to tumble at the other end, but Trego remained at the crease to assist Mumbai Champions in reaching a total of 214/5 in the 20 overs.
Early Setback for VVIP in Run chase
In pursuit of 215 runs, VVIP Uttar Pradesh suffered an early setback as they lost their opening batsman on just the second ball of the match. Two overs later, VVIP Uttar Pradesh suffered another blow with the dismissal of Anshul Kapoor. The crowd erupted in cheers as Suresh Raina made his entrance. The southpaw managed to strike two boundaries before being bowled out by Jhunjhunwala in the fourth over.
Classy batting by Negi and Parvinder
Despite losing three wickets for 45 runs, Pawan Negi and Parvinder Singh took charge and played a composed game without taking any unnecessary risks. The batters skillfully balanced caution and aggression, seizing any poorly bowled balls to sustain the necessary run rate.
Negi was tough on all the bowlers, showing no mercy to any of the Mumbai Champions’ bowlers, whether they were spinners or medium-fast. One key aspect about Negi is that he also employed a gentle touch to place the ball into gaps and quickly steal runs. Both batters reached their fifties as VVIP Uttar Pradesh made a strong comeback in the chase. The Raina-led team saw Parvinder Singh (51 off 34) departing in the 15th over.
Negi’s ton ensured VVIP win
In the final three overs, Uttar Pradesh required 27 runs with Negi and Puneet Bisht batting. Negi stylishly brought up his century by smashing a boundary, guaranteeing that the VVIP Uttar Pradesh team encountered no more hurdles as they efficiently chased down the target with four balls to spare. Negi, the skilled left-handed player, was rightfully honored as the player of both the match and series. Additionally, he also earned the orange cap for his outstanding performance in scoring runs throughout the tournament.
Lackluster bowling from Mumbai Champions
The Mumbai Champions bowlers were ineffective as they consistently delivered loose balls to the opposing batsmen.
Resultantly, Negi took full advantage of these opportunities with his easy batting style. They consistently failed to stick to any strategies and bowled erratically, delivering loose deliveries down the leg side, which made it easy for the batsmen to score.
VVIP dominated the League
It is worth noting that the top run scorer and leading wicket-taker in the IVPL are both from VVIP. Negi accumulated a total of 405 runs, while Christopher Mpofu took 12 wickets. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that VVIP emerged victorious and claimed the trophy.
What lies next for the IVPL?
Considering that the veteran’s league is comprised of retired players who may not possess the same reflexes they had in their prime, it is heartening to see the enthusiasm from both players and spectators boding well for the series’ future.
However, one hopes that more iconic players, both local and international, will participate in a more professional manner to elevate the league’s success in the future.
