Late Surge and Disciplined Bowling Power Rajasthan Lions Past Dubai Royals

Written by Intern Swara Bodke || Team Allycaral

Goa | January 29, 2026
Rajasthan Lions produced a strong all-round performance, combining 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 in Goa on Thursday.
Asked to bat first, the Lions were rocked early as Eoin Morgan and Callum Ferguson were dismissed cheaply, leaving the side struggling at 23/2 inside the first four overs. The early setbacks, however, were steadied by a composed partnership between Naman Ojha and Suresh Raina.
Ojha played the aggressor’s role, counter-attacking with a fluent half-century off around 30 balls, while Raina anchored the innings from the other end. At the halfway mark, Rajasthan were 79/2, well-placed but yet to fully capitalise on the platform.
Raina briefly increased the tempo before departing for 30, triggering a middle-order wobble. JP Duminy was dismissed for a golden duck, as Rishi Dhawan struck twice in two deliveries to reduce Rajasthan to 95/4.
Dubai Royals then threatened to seize complete control through Piyush Chawla, who produced a sensational spell that included the first hat-trick of the World Legends Pro T20 League. His burst ripped through the Rajasthan middle order and put the Lions under significant pressure.
Despite the collapse, Rajasthan recovered through a late flourish from Jesal Karia and Bipul Sharma. Karia struck a brisk 31 off 18 balls, while Sharma added a valuable 22 off 13 deliveries, helping the Lions post a competitive total of 170/9.
Defending the target, Rajasthan Lions delivered a commanding bowling performance, led by Karia and Sharma, who shared five wickets between them. The duo ensured that Dubai Royals were never able to build sustained partnerships during the chase.
Kirk Edwards top-scored for the Royals with 46, while Samit Patel chipped in with a quick 30, but regular wickets stalled their progress. Dubai Royals were eventually bowled out for 154 in 19.1 overs, falling 16 runs short of the target.
Match Result:
Rajasthan Lions won by 16 runs

Brief Scores:

Rajasthan Lions – 170/9

Naman Ojha 66 (43)

Jesal Karia 31 (18)

Piyush Chawla 3/29 (4 overs)

Samit Patel 2/33 (4 overs)

Dubai Royals – 154/10 (19.1 overs)

Kirk Edwards 46 (38)

Samit Patel 30 (17)

Jesal Karia 3/21 (3.1 overs)

Bipul Sharma 3/28 (4 overs)