Excelsior Sports Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 9: The final leg of the Legends League Cricket 2024 kicked off today at Bakshi Stadium here, drawing a massive crowd for this first-of-its-kind international cricket event in decades.
In match no. 19, an all-round performance with both bat and ball helped Toyam Hyderabad secure a crucial victory, defeating Southern Superstars by 5 wickets.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Hamilton Masakadza and Martin Guptill opened the innings for Southern Superstars. Masakadza made 16 from 15 balls, while Guptill scored 23 from 20 balls.
Skipper Kedar Yadav added 15 from 14 balls, and Shreevats Goswami remained unbeaten on 37 from 39 balls. Chirag Gandhi contributed 33 from 29 balls. Southern Superstars posted a total of 153/5 in their 20 overs.
For Toyam Hyderabad, Sudeep Tyagi took 2/22 in 3 overs, while Ravi Jangid (1/24), Shadab Jakati (1/28), and Shivakant Shukla (1/18) each took one wicket.
Chasing a target of 154, George Worker and Peter Trego opened the innings for Toyam Hyderabad, but the team quickly fell to 16/1 in 1.3 overs after the loss of Trego (13).
George Worker scored 19 from 12 balls, and skipper Gurkeerat Singh Mann added 32 from 26 balls. Ravi Jangid remained unbeaten on 42 from 48 balls, leading his team to victory.
Samiullah Shinwari also stayed not out with 17 from 12 balls as Toyam Hyderabad chased down the target in 18.2 overs.
For Southern Superstars, Abdur Razzak was the pick of the bowlers, taking 2/39 in 4 overs. Hamid Hassan (1/44), Pawan Negi (1/15), and Kedar Jadhav (1/18) each took one wicket.
Spectators began arriving more than an hour before the match, lining up for tickets or making their way into the stadium.
Younis Ahmad, a local, expressed his excitement at seeing international players live for the first time. “It’s a treat! I’m here to watch Martin Guptill. International matches should be held here more often,” he said.
The audience spanned all age groups, with people of all ages coming to see the action unfold. Another local, Tariq Ahmad, commented on the importance of international players returning to Srinagar after decades.
“This will inspire the youth, who are passionate about cricket. We have plenty of talent in Kashmir, and such events can make a huge difference. We hope IPL matches come here too,” he added.
It is worth noting that the final of the Legends League Cricket will also take place at Bakshi Stadium. Before the final, six more matches are scheduled to be played in Srinagar. On Thursday, match number 20 will be played between India Capitals and Manipal Tigers.
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