West Indies Masters overpower Australia Masters in high scoring thriller

After a nail biting finish, India Masters riding on their top order batters whirlwind innings cruised to a fluent nine-wicket win over England Masters with 50 balls to spare in their second round robin league match of the ongoing International Masters League T20 2025 at the packed DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai on Tuesday night.

Chasing an subpar target of 134, Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar led from the front, slamming five boundaries and a six for his 21-ball 34 to raise the tempo with a 75-run opening partnership in mere seven overs with Gurkeerat Singh Mann, who was equally aggressive with an unbeaten 35-ball 63.

The electric atmosphere at the stadium came to a brief standstill once the Indian skipper Sachin made his way back to the pavilion, after being caught by Tim Ambrose off leg spinner Chris Schofield in the first ball of his spell, with the crowd, roaring just moments ago, falling into stunned silence.

Promoted up the order, southpaw Yuvraj Singh changed the mood as he brought back the cheers, with a gigantic six over midwicket off the very next ball he faced from Schofield in second over. The ICC ODI World Cup 2011, Player of the Series, paved the path for an early finish by smashing four boundaries in an unbeaten 14-ball 27, not before stitching a 57-run alliance with his Punjab team mate.

Gurkeerat, who showcased a wide range of strokes who registered his maiden half-century with a boundary off Schofield in the first ball of the third over, later took a liking to the 6’ 1” tall spinner. The 34-year old right handed opener followed it up with four over extra-cover and a six over long-on of the next two balls to ensure the scores were levelled, before scoring the winning run, to ensure India Masters end the Navi Mumbai leg of IML T20 2025 with a second win on the trot  in just 11.4 overs.

Simmons overpowers Watson’s masterclass

Earlier in the week West Indies Masters outclassed the Australia Masters by seven wickets in the second match of the tourney at the same venue. The high scoring match saw Aussie all-rounder Shane Watson’s score a 48-ball century only to be overshadowed by an equally aggressive 44-ball 94 run knock by Lendl Simmons. 

Having traded his skills in the Indian Premier League in his career, the Australia Masters skipper Watson never looked as if he had left playing, with his trademark signature strokes, adding a touch of nostalgia after West Indian batting great Brian Lara elected to field on winning the toss, earlier in the evening.

The 43-year-old treated the West Indies bowlers with disdain, to notch up his half century off mere 27 balls, and consumed another 21 deliveries for his next fifty. In the process, Watson was also involved in a couple of big partnerships that set the tone for the massive target.

Watson, who went out to open the innings with Ben Dunk (15 off 11 balls), started with a 34-run partnership, before forging an 83-run partnership for the second wicket with Callum Ferguson (13 off 15). He was also involved in a 54-run stand for the third wicket with Daniel Christian (32 off 15), that set up the huge score for the Aussies.

Despite losing his partners at the other end, Watson ensured he remained in the middle and provided the impetus to the Australian innings. He took a special liking for left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn, dispatching him over the fence for a couple of sixes and an identical number of fours to milk 21 runs from the 9th over of their innings.

Watson, who received a reprieve on 80 when Ashley Nurse dropped him, eventually perished to the same bowler, but by then he had already done his job with a 52-ball 107, laced with nine fours and as many sixes.

Nurse, meanwhile, emerged the most successful of the Windies bowlers, claiming figures of 3/16, while Jerome Taylor and Ravi Rampaul picked two wickets apiece.

In response, Lendl Simmons and Dwayne Smith slammed brisk fifties to lead the West Indies Masters’ chase, with the iconic Brian Lara contributing with a 21-ball 33, and more importantly setting the tone with a 99-run third wicket stand with Simmons.

Earlier, opening the batting with the dangerous Chris Gayle, who perished for a 12-ball 11, Smith led the charge with a classy 29-ball 51, powered by 10 boundaries and a six, before Simmons took charge of the proceedings with an audacious half century,

Needing 38 off the last three overs, Simmons and wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton (23 not out off 11 balls) slammed three boundaries off Daniel Christian to reduce the margin by 17 runs before completing the formalities with a flurry of boundaries, and four balls to spare.

Brief Scores (League Phase):

England Masters - 132/8 in 20 overs (Darren Maddy 25 (24b: 1x4, 1x6), Tim Ambrose 23 (22b: 1x6), Chris Schofield 18* (8b: 3x4s); Dhawal Kulkarni 3/21, Pawan Negi 2/16, Abhimanyu Mithun 2/27, Vinay Kumar 1/27) lost to India Masters -133/1 in 11.4 overs (Gurkeerat Singh Mann 63* (35b: 10x4s, 1x6), Sachin Tendulkar 34 (21b: 5x4s), Yuvraj Singh 27* (14b: 4x4s, 1x6); Chris Schofield 1/33) by 9 wickets and 8.2 overs to spare. Player of the Match: Gurkeerat Singh (India Masters)

Australia Masters - 216/8 in 20 overs (Shane Watson 107 (52b: 9x4s, 9x6s), Daniel Christian 32 (15b: 4x4s, 2x6s), Ben Cutting 18 (11b: 3x4s); Ashley Nurse 3/16, Ravi Rampaul 2/23, Jerome Taylor 2/40) lost to West Indies Masters – 220/3 in 19.2 overs (Lendl Simmons 94*(44b: 6x4s, 8x6s) , Dwayne Smith 51 (29b: 10x4s, 1x6), Brian Lara 33 (21b: 5x4s), Chadwick Walton 23* (11b: 4x4s); Bryce McGain 1/21, Daniel Christian 1/30, Ben Hilfenhaus 1/34)  by 7 wickets and 0.4 overs to spare. Player of the Match: Ashley Nurse (West Indies Masters)

Photo Cover: Simmons Lendl's pales  Shane Watson’s masterclass in  West Indies Masters 7-wicket win over Australia Masters

Photo Above: Opener Gurkeerat Singh Mann of India Masters struck a fluent unbeaten 63 on a winning cause against England Masters in IML T20 2025 match