Martin Guptill turned back the clock to smash a quickfire half-century and guide Pune Panthers to a four-wicket victory over Gurugram Thunders in the second match of the World Legends Pro T20 League in Goa on Tuesday.
The tournament came to life as Shane Watson’s Pune Panthers faced Thisara Perera’s Gurugram Thunders in a high-intensity clash featuring global stars, Indian icons, and former World Cup winners. New Zealand’s Guptill’s sensational knock of 68 runs off just 28 balls saw Pune Panthers race home to a four-wicket victory.
With both teams eager to make an early statement in the tournament, Gurugram Thunders won the toss and elected to bat first. They posted a competitive total of 159 for 5, built around a commanding innings from another New Zealander Ross Taylor. Despite early setbacks, the Thunders kept the scoreboard moving, absorbing pressure through the middle overs.
Dwayne Bravo then tightened the screws with two quick wickets, briefly putting the brakes on the scoring. Taylor, however, held the innings together with a composed and authoritative knock, finding solid support from Colin de Grandhomme. The pair stitched together a crucial partnership that stabilised the innings and ensured Gurugram finished with a respectable total on the board. Taylor made a 36-ball 41 and Mohammad Faiz Khan scored 35 off 27 balls.
In reply, Pune Panthers lost Shane Watson early, but Martin Guptill held the fort, anchoring a crucial 72-run partnership to restore momentum. Speaking about the chase, Guptill said, “It was good to set the tone early. Chases like that can get tricky if you lose wickets, but we managed to stay ahead of the run rate, and from there it was pretty straightforward. It was great fun playing against familiar faces and enjoying a bit of banter out in the middle. Today’s done now, though we take the confidence, reset, and go again tomorrow.”
The Panthers lost a few wickets in the middle overs, momentarily slowing the chase, but Afghan all-rounder Sayed Shirzad Shinwari made a telling impact with both bat and ball. Earlier, when asked to bowl first, he struck twice by removing both Gurugram openers. He later provided valuable support in the chase with a quickfire 21 off 10 balls.
Guptill remained the driving force of the pursuit, his blistering 68 off 28 deliveries keeping the required rate firmly in check. His aggressive strokeplay ensured the Panthers crossed the line with four wickets in hand, sealing an impressive win to kick off their campaign.
Brief scores: Gurugram Thunders 159 for 5 in 20 overs (Ross Taylor 41, Mohammad Faiz Khan 35; Samiullah Shinwari 2/42) lost to Pune Panthers 160 for six in 17 overs (Martin Guptill 68, Samiullah Shinwari 21; Stuart Broad 1/11).
