Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: The World Legends Pro T20 League has its finalists after Dubai Royals secured an impressive 17 run victory over Delhi Warriors in the second semi final in Goa. The win confirmed a summit clash between the Shikhar Dhawan led Royals and the Pune Panthers captained by Kieron Pollard at the 1919 Sportz Stadium on February 4.
Asked to bat first, Dubai Royals faced immediate pressure as the Delhi bowlers struck at regular intervals. Despite the early setbacks, Dhawan once again provided stability at the top of the order. The left hander paced his innings with maturity, rotating the strike and punishing loose deliveries on the way to a well compiled 71. His effort ensured the Royals remained competitive even as partnerships failed to develop at the other end.
Delhi Warriors fought back strongly through their captain Harbhajan Singh, who picked up two important wickets and kept the scoring under control in the middle overs. The momentum shifted late in the innings when Yusuf Pathan produced a powerful cameo, smashing 34 from just 19 balls. His aggressive stroke play in the closing stages lifted Dubai Royals to a challenging total of 192 for 7 from their 20 overs.
The chase began positively for Delhi, but key breakthroughs hurt their progress. Parvez Rasool removed Shreevats Goswami after a fluent 44, while Piyush Chawla dismissed Chadwick Walton to tighten the contest. With 68 required from the last five overs, the match remained evenly poised before Chawla delivered a match turning spell.
The leg spinner finished with figures of 3 for 25, striking at crucial moments and denying Delhi any real acceleration. His control through the middle overs forced risky shots and gradually tilted the contest in favour of Dubai Royals. Delhi eventually managed 175 for 7, falling short by 17 runs.
In the earlier semi final, Pune Panthers defeated Rajasthan Lions by six wickets in another high scoring encounter. Angelo Perera’s unbeaten 96 went in vain as DJ Bravo’s key wickets and a composed partnership between S Shinwari and Robin Uthappa guided Pune into the final.
The stage is now set for an exciting title showdown between two strong sides in Goa.
