Pune Panthers vs Dubai Royals Final: Watson's Panthers Face Dhawan's Royals in Title Decider - World Legends Pro T20
The stage is set for a thrilling finale as Pune Panthers take on Dubai Royals in the grand final of the World Legends Pro T20 League at the 1919 Sportz Stadium in Verna, Goa. The championship match starts at 7:30 PM IST on Wednesday, February 4.
Semi-Final Results:
Pune Panthers secured their place in the final with a thrilling 6-wicket win over table-toppers Rajasthan Lions yesterday. Chasing 214, Samiullah Shinwari's brilliant 53 off 30 balls (Player of the Match), Robin Uthappa's explosive 32 off 12, and Kieron Pollard's crucial contribution guided Panthers to 217/4 in 20 overs. Earlier, Rajasthan posted 213/6 with contributions from their batsmen. Dubai Royals pulled off a stunning upset in the second semi-final, defeating league stage toppers Delhi Warriors by 17 runs. Captain Shikhar Dhawan led from the front, earning Player of the Match honors as Royals posted 192/7. Warriors could only manage 175/7 in reply despite Seekkuge Prasanna's 31 off 14.
Tournament Journey:
Pune Panthers finished third in the league stage with 3 wins from 5 matches. After beating Gurugram Thunders (Guptill 68 off 28), they lost to Delhi Warriors (59 runs) and Rajasthan Lions (6 wickets) before bouncing back with wins over Dubai Royals (130 runs) and Maharashtra Tycoons (12 runs - Guptill 62 off 46, Bravo 4/30, Mishra 3/20). Dubai Royals finished fourth with 3 wins. They lost to Delhi Warriors (9 wickets), Rajasthan Lions (16 runs), and Maharashtra Tycoons (8 runs) before their resurgence. They defeated Gurugram Thunders by 3 runs (Patel 65 off 32, Chawla 3/35), lost heavily to Pune Panthers (130 runs), then bounced back beating Panthers and Tycoons (7 wickets - Dhawan 99 off 48) to qualify for semi-finals.
Weather & Pitch: Evening temperatures will be pleasant around 28-30°C. The Verna pitch has been excellent for batting throughout the tournament with high-scoring matches. Both teams have explosive batting lineups making this a potential run-fest.
Team Squads:
Pune Panthers: Shane Watson (c), Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Martin Guptill, Robin Uthappa (wk), Upul Tharanga, Samiullah Shinwari, Amit Mishra, Faiz Fazal, Ankit Rajpoot, Ishwar Pandey, Rahul Yadav, Samiullah Shinwari, Kamau Leverock, Asad Pathan, Priyank Panchal, Abhishek Sakuja
Dubai Royals: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Samit Patel, Piyush Chawla, Christopher Mpofu, Fidel Edwards, Danushka Gunathilaka, Ambati Rayudu (wk), Yusuf Pathan, Parvez Rasool, Gitansh Khera, Abhishek Raut, Peter Trego, Monu Kumar, Amit Verma, Kirk Edwards, Rishi Dhawan, Manvinder Bisla
Key Players - T20I Stats:
Pune Panthers:
Shane Watson (Captain): 1,462 T20I runs, 48 wickets at 24.72 average
Kieron Pollard: 1,569 T20I runs, 42 wickets, first to play 500 T20 matches
Martin Guptill: Tournament's top scorer (254 runs at SR 189.55) with 68 & 62
Samiullah Shinwari: Semi-final hero (53 off 30)
Robin Uthappa: Match-winner (32 off 12 in semi-final)
Dwayne Bravo: 1,245 T20I runs, 78 wickets (4/30 vs Tycoons)
Amit Mishra: Experienced leg-spinner (3/20 vs Tycoons)
Dubai Royals:
Shikhar Dhawan (Captain): 1,759 T20I runs at 27.92 average, in brilliant form (99 & semi-final PoM)
Samit Patel: Match-winner (65*, 65 in tournament)
Ambati Rayudu: Explosive batter (88 vs Panthers, 45 vs Thunders)
Yusuf Pathan: 236 T20I runs at 134.02 SR, 2007 T20 & 2011 WC winner
Piyush Chawla: Leading wicket-taker (10 wickets, hat-trick vs Lions, 3/35 vs Thunders)
Rishi Dhawan: All-rounder
Players to Watch: Guptill's 254 runs make him the tournament's batting star. Shinwari's 53 off 30 and Uthappa's 32 off 12 powered Panthers to the final. Dhawan's 99 and semi-final heroics show his purple patch. Chawla's 10 wickets make him the bowling ace. Watch for the captains' tactical battle - Watson versus Dhawan, Guptill's explosiveness against Chawla's guile, and Pollard's power-hitting in the title decider.