Raipur : The final leg of the International Masters League (IML) 2025 in Raipur was set to rekindle one of cricket’s most iconic rivalries—Sachin Tendulkar vs Brian Lara. Though the Indian maestro sat out, the match still delivered its own brand of nostalgia and excitement with India Masters putting on a dominant batting display, fuelled by explosive half-centuries from Ambati Rayudu and Saurabh Tiwary, before Yuvraj Singh provided a late-order flourish to propel them to a commanding 253/3 against the West Indies Masters.
Under the leadership of stand-in skipper Yuvraj, the home side took first strike after Lara won the toss, sending them in. And as the new opening pair of Rayudu (63) and Tiwary (60) took their stances against the bustling run-up of Dwayne Smith, the match took on a different hue — not of old foes reliving their battles, but of a new set of veterans stepping up to continue the legacy in front of a sizeable weekend crowd led by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium here.
India’s innings began with purpose as Rayudu and Tiwary made full use of the powerplay, racing to 51 runs while successfully countering the movement on a pitch with a slight tinge of green. After receiving a reprieve early on, Rayudu, in particular, took the attack to the West Indies Masters, dealing in boundaries and showing no mercy to the spin duo of Ashley Nurse and Sulieman Benn. He dispatched Nurse for back-to-back blows, including two towering sixes, before launching Benn over midwicket to bring up a blistering half-century in just 30 balls.
However, just as Rayudu looked set to run away with the game, Benn struck back, breaking the stellar 94-run opening stand. The left-arm spinner had the last laugh, sending Rayudu back for a swashbuckling 63 off 35 balls, an innings laced with eight fours and four sixes.
Meanwhile, Tiwary, who initially kept pace with his opening partner shot for shot, gradually fell behind Rayudu’s blistering scoring rate. However, he remained steady at the crease and went on to slam a half-century in 32 balls. In the process, his 79-run second wicket partnership with Gurkeerat Singh Mann (46) continued to build momentum at a rapid pace, propelling India Masters past 150 by the 14th over and keeping the pressure firmly on the West Indies Masters’ bowling attack.
There was no respite for the West Indies Masters as Gurkeerat took the attack to Jonathan Carter, smashing him for two towering sixes and a boundary. However, Carter had his revenge, dismissing Gurkeerat just four runs short of a well-deserved half-century. The over could have been even more fruitful for the bowler had Lendl Simmons not put down Tiwary on 52.
The left-handed Tiwary tried to make the most of his reprieve, dispatching Jerome Taylor for a six, but his attempt to accelerate further proved costly as he perished to the same bowler. His fluent 37-ball innings came to an end, studded with seven boundaries and two maximums.
Towards the end, skipper Yuvraj Singh, returning fresh from a break, wasted no time in stamping his authority with a 20-ball unbeaten 49. The southpaw unleashed a brutal assault on the West Indies bowlers, with Carter bearing the brunt of his vintage strokeplay. All this while, Yusuf Pathan (14 not out), at the other end, was happy to take the backseat, allowing Yuvraj to take on the bowlers even as the fourth wicket partnership swelled to an unbeaten 67, helping India to the mammoth total.
