India Legends win Road Safety World Series: Key stats
Naman Ojha (108*) was a class act as India Legends beat Sri Lanka Legends in the Road Safety World Series final on Saturday in Raipur. The Sachin Tendulkar-led side successfully defended their title, having won the inaugural edition in 2020-21. Batting first, INDL cruised to 195/6. Later, Karnataka speedster Vinay Kumar shone (3/38) as INDL seized a 33-run triumph. Here are the stats.
How did the final pan out?
India had a poor start, losing both Tendulkar (0) and Suresh Raina (4) within three overs. Vinay then fetched a 90-run stand with Ojha before the wickets tumbled further. Stuart Binny belted back-to-back fours off the last two deliveries, guiding INDL past 190. SLL Pacer Nuwan Kulasekara (3/29) was menacing throughout. Later, SLL perished on 162, comprising a fighting fifty from Ishan Jayaratne.
Who were key performers for India Legends?
Ojha top-scored in the tournament, having slammed 266 runs at 66.50, striking a hundred and a fifty each. Binny finished with the second-most runs for India, with 110 runs at 55.00. Master Blaster Tendulkar compiled 85 runs at 21.20, including a 20-ball 40 blitz against England. Meanwhile, spinners Pragyan Ojha and Rahul Sharma, as well as right-arm medium Abhimanyu Mithun, pocketed six scalps each.
Dilshan adjudged Player of the Series
Lankan legend Tillakaratne Dilshan was awarded the Player of the Series title. The right-handed batter struck three fifties in six innings, tallying 192 runs while striking at 141.17. He also ended up as the tournament's fourth-highest run-getter, behind Ojha (266), Shane Watson (239), and Dwayne Smith (212). Meanwhile, his compatriot Kulasekara snapped up the most wickets (13 scalps at 10.38).
A look at India's journey in the tournament
India Legends commenced their run in the second edition with a thumping 61-run win over South Africa. The matches against West Indies and New Zealand were abandoned due to wet outfield and rains, respectively. India routed England by 40 runs, followed by a no-result against Bangladesh to conclude second in the League stage. INDL bested Australia and prevailed against SLL in the final.
Sri Lanka Legends have a distinct record
Sri Lanka Legends have been a formidable side in each of the two editions of the Road Safety World Series. Notably, they have lost only three matches in this interval. The tally includes both League stage and finale defeats versus India (in 2020/21 and 2022/23).
India Legends bagged the honors in the maiden edition
India Legends were crowned winners in the 2020-21 edition. They topped the League stage, stamping five wins in six matches. In the semi-final, India bested WI by 12 runs in what was a high-scoring encounter. Tendulkar shone with a 42-ball 65. Later, India defended a target of 182 against SL in the finale. Hard-hitter Yusuf Pathan had struck 62* in the coveted fixture.
