SCORES
Pune Panthers 194/4 in 20 overs (Martin Guptill 62, Upul Tharanga 55; Piyush Chawla 2/42, Parvez Rasool 1/30
Dubai Royals 197/2 in 19 overs (Manvinder Bisla 67, Shikhar Dhawan 64;
Ankit Rajpoot 1/27, Dwayne Bravo 1/36
Dubai Royals won by 8 wickets
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PANAJI
Dubai Royals clinched the inaugural World Legends Pro T20 League title after defeating Pune Panthers by eight wickets in the final at the 1919 Sportz Stadium in Verna on Wednesday night.
Sent in to bat, Pune posted a competitive 194 for four in 20 overs, built around a century opening stand between Martin Guptill and Upul Tharanga. Guptill struck 62 off 40 balls, while Tharanga added 55 from 39 deliveries.
Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla pulled the innings back with two key wickets, removing Guptill and captain Kieron Pollard. Pune regained momentum through an unbeaten 50 off 24 balls from Shane Watson, which lifted the total close to 200.
Dubai’s chase was led by Manvinder Bisla, who made 67 off 44 balls, and captain Shikhar Dhawan, who continued his consistent tournament run with 64 off 39 deliveries. The pair laid the foundation with a brisk opening partnership.
Dhawan was dismissed by Dwayne Bravo, and Bisla soon followed, but Pune were unable to capitalise. Samit Patel and Ambati Rayudu then guided Dubai home with an unbeaten stand, as the Royals reached 197 for two in 19 overs.
The 10-day tournament featured former international players from several countries and marked the first edition of the league. Chawla finished as the leading wicket-taker with 15 scalps to win the Purple Cap, while Guptill claimed the Orange Cap after scoring 317 runs in the competition.
