NEW DELHI: The second match of the World Legends Pro T20 League lived up to the hype as Shane Watson’s Pune Panthers took on Thisara Perera’s Gurugram Thunders in a high-octane contest packed with global stars, Indian greats, and former World Cup winners.
A breathtaking assault from Martin Guptill, who smashed 68 off just 28 balls, proved decisive as the Panthers clinched a four-wicket win.
Eager to set the tone early in the tournament, Gurugram Thunders won the toss and chose to bat. They put up a competitive 159 for 5, with Ross Taylor anchoring the innings after a few early jolts. The Thunders kept the runs flowing through the middle phase, showing composure under pressure.
Dwayne Bravo briefly stalled the momentum with a double strike, but Taylor stood firm, finding an able partner in Colin de Grandhomme. Their steady stand helped Gurugram recover and finish with a defendable total.
Pune’s chase began with an early setback as Shane Watson departed cheaply, but Guptill steadied the ship, forging a vital 72-run partnership to swing the momentum back. Reflecting on the chase, Guptill said, “It was good to set the tone early. Chases like that can get tricky if you lose wickets, but we managed to stay ahead of the run rate, and from there it was pretty straightforward. It was great fun playing against familiar faces and enjoying a bit of banter out in the middle. Today’s done now, though we take the confidence, reset, and go again tomorrow.”
The Panthers did lose a couple of wickets in the middle overs, briefly allowing the Thunders back into the game, but Sayed Shirzad Shinwari made a telling difference.
The Afghan all-rounder had earlier struck twice with the ball, removing both Gurugram openers, and later chipped in with a brisk 21 off 10 balls to keep the chase on track.
Guptill remained the standout performer, his explosive 68 off 28 deliveries ensuring the required rate never spiralled out of control. His clean hitting carried Pune Panthers over the line with four wickets to spare, handing them a confident start to their campaign.
Brief Score:
Gurugram Thunders - 159/5(20)
- Ross Taylor - 41(36)
- Mohammad Faiz Khan - 35 (27)
- Samiullah Shinwari - 42/2 (3 overs)
Pune Panthers - 160/6(17)
- Martin Guptill - 68 (28)
- Samiullah Shinwari - 21(8)
- Stuart Broad - 1/11 (2 overs)
| Teams | P | W | L | NR | PTS | NRR |
| DWR | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +2.200 |
| PPT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +1.462 |
| MRT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| RTL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| GGT | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -1.462 |
| DBR | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -2.200 |
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