India vs Pakistan WCL Final 2024: India vs Pakistan World Championship of Legends 2024 Final: Yuvraj Singh-led India crushed arch-rivals Pakistan by five wickets to win the World Championship of Legends final at Birmingham’s Edgbaston. The title clash that went down the wire saw blazing knocks by Ambati Rayudu and Yusuf Pathan to seal the deal for the Men in Blue.
Winning the toss, Pakistani skipper Younis Khan chose to bat first. In the innings punctuated by regular fall of the wickets, Pakistan managed to put up an at-par score of 156/6 in 20 overs on the board. Chasing down the target of 157, it was Rayudu and Pathan, who made the difference and helped India to beat their nuclear-armed neighbour in the nervy last over.
For Pakistan, while skipper Younis Khan failed to make a mark, Shoaib Malik (41 off 31 deliveries), Kamran Akmal (24 runs in 19 balls) anchored the stuttering innings. Despite a quick-fire knock by Misbah-ul-Haq (18), the middle order couldn’t do much. However, Sohail Tanvir (19* off 9 deliveries) helped Pakistan to score a decent total on the board.
In response, India Champions maintained their momentum despite the early dismissal of Robin Uthappa (10). Ambati Rayudu’s explosive 50 off 30 balls laid the foundation for the Men in Blue’s chase.
Suresh Raina also departed cheaply for 4 in the same over, allowing Pakistan to mount a comeback. However, a strong partnership between Rayudu and Gurkeerat Singh Maan (34 off 33) kept India on course.
Though Rayudu and Maan were dismissed within a span of 10 runs, the momentum remained in India’s favor with Yusuf Pathan’s blistering 30 off 16 balls before he was dismissed in the penultimate over.
With captain Yuvraj Singh (15*) and Irfan Pathan (5*) at the crease, India secured the win, finishing at 159 for 5 in 19.1 overs, much to the delight of their fans.