Written by Intern Rency Gomes || Team Allycaral
Goa, 31 January 2026: A commanding century from Martin Guptill, backed by a disciplined all-round bowling effort, propelled Pune Panthers to a comprehensive 130-run victory over Dubai Royals in the 11th match of the World Legends Pro T20 League at the 1919 Sportz Stadium in Verna.
Batting first, Pune Panthers made an aggressive start as the openers raced to 54 runs within the first four overs. Upul Tharanga departed early for 14, but Guptill continued to dominate alongside captain Shane Watson. Carrying forward his fine form from the previous match, the New Zealand batter registered the fastest half-century of the tournament, reaching the milestone in just 20 balls.
Guptill maintained a relentless scoring pace throughout the innings, combining clean timing with powerful strokes to find the boundary regularly. He brought up his century in 44 balls before being dismissed by Piyush Chawla. Watson kept the momentum going with a brisk 27-ball half-century, while useful contributions down the order helped Pune Panthers post the highest total of the tournament, finishing on 219 for 9.
In reply, Dubai Royals’ chase faltered early as opener Kirk Edwards was dismissed in the first over, followed quickly by Amit Verma and captain Shikhar Dhawan, leaving the side struggling at 8 for 3 inside two overs. Despite brief attempts to rebuild, wickets continued to fall at regular intervals.
Pune’s bowlers maintained tight lines and sustained pressure, preventing Dubai Royals from forming any meaningful partnerships. Abhishek Sakhuja starred with the ball, returning figures of four wickets in his four overs, as Dubai Royals were bundled out for 89 in 13.5 overs.
The victory comes at a crucial stage for Pune Panthers, who had recorded only one win prior to the match. The result moves them to third place on the points table with four points, keeping them firmly in contention as the league stage progresses.
Earlier in the day, Rajasthan Lions sealed their place in the semi-finals with a 27-run win over Gurugram Thunders. A fluent 78 from Eoin Morgan laid the foundation for Rajasthan’s total of 208, supported by late contributions from Callum Ferguson, Suresh Raina and Angelo Perera. Sreesanth struck early with the ball, setting the tone for the defense. Despite resistance from Colin de Grandhomme and Ross Taylor, Gurugram Thunders were restricted to 181, confirming Rajasthan Lions’ semi-final qualification.
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