Chhattisgarh Warriors claimed the title of champions in the first-ever Legend 90 League after a thrilling victory on the final ball against Rajasthan Kings at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium on Monday. With their home crowd cheering them on, the Warriors successfully chased a target of 160, securing the trophy in a dramatic fashion.
Despite the low turnout and many key players absent, the final of the YAARON Legends 90 league between Home team Chhattisgarh warriors and Rajasthan Kings finally commenced at Shaheed Veer Narayan International Stadium in Raipur. Although the stands were not filled to capacity, there were plenty of spectators of all ages who came to enjoy the moment, considering that people in Chhattisgarh seldom have the chance to witness cricket happening in their own backyard at Parsada Stadium.
The Chhattisgarh Warriors won the toss and chose to field first, primarily due to the dew factor. Recently, it has become a trend for teams to make this decision, as they believe that the ball becomes difficult to grip because of the dew. This allows the batting team to take advantage and score more easily.
Sloppy Fielding gave RK ascendancy in the game
Teams that choose to bowl first typically aim to bowl and field effectively in order to take early wickets or control the flow of runs. However, for CW, this was not the case, as Kevin Cooper dropped an easy catch from the prolific and dazzling Phil Mustard, who attempted a big shot early on against left-arm bowler and skipper Gurkeerat Mann. Cooper’s failure to secure the catch was followed by an unnecessary overthrow in the very next over, indicating that nerves were getting the better of the home team. Rajasthan took full advantage of these mistakes to advance their innings comfortably.
Asad Pathan took the initiative upfront
Phil Mustard struggled with his timing early in the innings, while Asad Pathan launched the first ball for a massive six and continued to find the boundaries consistently. This eased the pressure on Mustard, who then partnered with Pathan to score aggressively. Together, they began to dominate the CW bowlers, who appeared ineffective. The opening pair amassed a strong foundation of 76 runs off just 41 deliveries.
CW got the breakthrough but failed to stop the Runs
Chhattisgarh Warriors finally achieved a breakthrough when Siddarth Kaul bowled out the threatening Asad Pathan, who attempted a big swing for another six. However, the Warriors’ bowlers, hoping for some relief, were mistaken as the next RK batsman, Gaurav Tomar, started strong by hitting three impressive sixes to maintain RK’s momentum. When he and Mustard exited in quick succession with the score at 107 for 3, it seemed that Chhattisgarh had made a comeback in the game. However, that was not the case, as Rajat Singh and Rajesh Bishnoi continued to attack. Despite Bishnoi retiring hurt, RK managed to post a respectable total of 159/4 in 15 overs.
Rishi Dhawan calmed the early nerves for CW in Run Chase
In pursuit of 160 runs, Chhattisgarh faced early setbacks as Ankit Rajpoot quickly took out Martin Guptill and captain Gurkeerat Singh Mann, leaving the team struggling at 13/2. Nevertheless, Rishi Dhawan, who was in good form, stabilized the innings despite a near miss when ManpreetGony dropped his catch. Dhawan partnered with Sheldon Jackson to contribute 57 vital runs, bringing joy to the Warriors’ fans.
Quick wickets brought back RK in the game but Dhawanstood firm
As it seemed that CW was cruising, Tyagi disrupted the flow by dismissing Jackson. Shortly after, Rahul Shukla sent Pawan Negi back to the pavilion, shifting the momentum in favor of Rajasthan. Despite wickets tumbling around him, Dhawan remained steadfast and achieved a well-deserved half-century. Peter Trego and Manan Sharma fell for low scores, leaving the Warriors with a daunting task of scoring 33 runs from the last 11 balls.
Abhimanyu Mithun turned out be a Hero for CW
Abhimanyu Mithun changed the course of the match by hitting 22 runs in only five balls during the second-to-last over bowled by Rahul Shukla. Needing just 11 runs from the final over, Dhawan swiftly scored 10 runs off the first three balls. However, the match took another turn when Chhattisgarh lost two wickets in rapid succession, leading to a nail-biting conclusion with one run needed off the last delivery. Siddharth Kaul stepped up and hit the ball to the boundary, clinching a thrilling victory. Rishi Dhawan’s not out 76 runs from 40 deliveries turned out to be the decisive contribution, leading the Chhattisgarh Warriors to victory in the first-ever Legend 90 League trophy before an ecstatic home audience.
