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Panaji (Goa) [India] February 5 (ANI): The finals of the inaugural edition of the World Legends Pro T20 League held in Goa concluded with a bang, as Dubai Royals were crowned champions after securing a comfortable 8-wicket win over Pune Panthers, courtesy of a spectacular chase by the Royals, who hit form at the right time in the tournament, according to a release.
Winning the toss, Pune Panthers opted to bat first, with Dubai Royals turning to spin from both ends through Samit Patel and Parvez Rasool. The move did little to slow Pune's openers, who stitched together a solid 100-run opening partnership. Upul Tharanga anchored the stand with a composed 55 before Parvez Rasool provided the first breakthrough for Dubai.
Piyush Chawla then struck twice to pull things back, removing the in-form Martin Guptill for 62 and dismissing Pune captain Kieron Pollard cheaply. Shane Watson finished the innings in style with an unbeaten 24-ball half-century, guiding Pune Panthers to a commanding 194/4 at the end of 20 overs.
Coming out to chase a stiff target under pressure, Dubai Royals made a steady start, with Manvinder Bisla leading the charge with a fluent half-century. At the other end, captain Shikhar Dhawan, in phenomenal form throughout the tournament, continued his sublime touch with yet another fifty, keeping the chase alive. Dhawan was eventually dismissed for 64, with DJ Bravo providing the much-needed breakthrough for the Panthers.
Bisla soon followed back to the pavilion, after which Samit Patel and Ambati Rayudu stitched together a crucial partnership of 50 runs, steering Dubai Royals to a comfortable victory to become the first-ever champions of the World Legends Pro T20 League. (ANI)