Vinay Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun put on the squeeze in the end overs to help India Masters overcome a Jeevan Mendis assault in the death overs. Sri Lanka Masters never looked uncomfortable in the tall run-chase but Indian bowlers kept chipping at the wickets.
A 43-year-old Yuvraj Singh not being able to move properly but still grabbing those stunners in the field, the Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar rolling back the clock with a couple of boundaries, Kumar Sangakkara reminding everyone why he still is the second-highest run-getter in international cricket of all time and India prevailing over Sri Lanka—it was an overload of nostalgia as the yesteryear stars took on each other in the opener of the International Masters League in Navi Mumbai on Saturday, February 22.
Sri Lanka Masters seemed to be running away with the game despite it being a 220-plus chase riding on Sangakkara’s quick fifty and Jeevan Mendis’ attack 17-ball 42 before Vinay Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun put on the squeeze in the end overs to help India Masters overcome the death assault to get first points on the board.
At 213/6 with 10 runs needed to win off just eight deliveries, Sri Lanka Masters were the favourites to win the game but the visitors bottled the chase losing three wickets in the remaining balls while scoring just five runs. Mithun and Vinay Kumar did the job in the latter overs, it was Irfan Pathan with three big wickets of Kumar Sangakkara, Lahiru Thirimanne and de Silva to peg Sri Lanka back in the post-powerplay period.
Mendis and Isuru Udana with a 7-ball 23 had almost done enough for Sri Lanka to get over the line until they didn’t as India Masters kept believing and ultimately managed to snatch a win from the jaws of defeat. Earlier it was the duo of Stuart Binny and Yusuf Pathan, who got India to such a huge total on a very good wicket at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
Tendulkar and Gurkeerat Mann got starts, but Stuart Binny’s innings changed the momentum in India Masters’ favour. Binny belted seven sixes in his 31-ball 68 effort while infusing momentum in India Masters’ innings before the unbeaten 76-run stand between Yusuf Pathan, who also got past a superlative quick fifty took the Men in Blue’s score to what was eventually a winning number.
It will be a rest day on Sunday, February 23 in the IML T20 since it’s India vs Pakistan in the Champions Trophy before it resumes with West Indies Masters taking on Australia Masters in their respective first games on Monday, February 24.
