Piyush Chawla became the first bowler to take a hat-trick in the league.
SCORES
Rajasthan Lions 170/9 (Naman Ojha 66, Jesal Karia 31; Piyush Chawla 3/29, Samit Patel 2/33) beat Dubai Royals 154 all out in 19.1 overs (Kirk Edwards 46, Samit Patel 30; Jesal Karia 3/21, Bipul Sharma 3/28) by 16 runs
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PANAJI
Rajasthan Lions combined a crucial late batting surge with disciplined bowling to defeat Dubai Royals by 16 runs in Match 6 of the World Legends Pro T20 League at the 1919 Sportz Cricket Stadium, Verna.
Put in to bat, Rajasthan were rocked early as Eoin Morgan and Callum Ferguson departed cheaply, leaving the Lions at 23 for 2 inside four overs. A stabilising partnership between Naman Ojha and Suresh Raina brought the innings back on track. Ojha counter-attacked to score a fluent 66 off 43 balls, while Raina anchored the innings, adding 30 before falling.
The middle order then faltered, with JP Duminy dismissed for a golden duck as Rishi Dhawan picked up two wickets in two balls, reducing Rajasthan to 95 for 4.
Piyush Chawla briefly threatened a Royals comeback with a stunning spell, claiming the first hat-trick of the tournament, but late aggression from Jesal Karia (31 off 18) and Bipul Sharma (22 off 13) lifted Rajasthan to a competitive 170 for 9.
Defending the total, Rajasthan’s bowlers were relentless. Jesal Karia (3/21) and Bipul Sharma (3/28) shared five wickets, keeping Dubai Royals under pressure throughout. The Royals, despite Kirk Edwards’ 46 and Samit Patel’s 30, were bowled out for 154 in 19.1 overs, falling 16 runs short.
