Former England batter Kevin Pietersen turned back the clock with a brilliant batting performance despite his team facing a six-wicket loss to Harbhajan Singh-led Manipal Tigers in the playoffs of the Legends League Cricket (LLC) at Lalabhai Contractor Stadium, Surat on December 7.
Pietersen smashed the ball around the park with his 56 runs in 27 balls, featuring two fours and five sixes. He shared a 69-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Ben Dunk. However, his team only managed to score 177 for the loss of nine wickets.
After the match, Pietersen went on Twitter to playfully share his intention of participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction. In what was a clear joke, he captioned a highlight reel of his batting displayed, and wrote, 'Last night. How do I enter the @IPL auction?
Mitchell McClenaghan and Thisara Perera played crucial roles, each taking three wickets, to limit India Capitals to 177/9. Chadwick Walton, Angelo Perera, Asela Gunaratne, and Colin de Grandhomme made significant contributions as Manipal Tigers successfully chased down the target with six wickets in hand and eight balls to spare.
During the powerplay overs, Walton aggressively attacked, scoring 33 runs from 18 balls before Dilhara Fernando broke the opening partnership in the fifth over. Mohammad Kaif couldn't leave a mark and fell victim to Fidel Edwards, while Amit Verma lost his wicket to Pandey. Angelo's 35-run innings from 27 balls helped maintain the required run rate.
Gunaratne and Grandhomme's unbeaten 57-run partnership ultimately secured Manipal Tigers' victory with eight balls to spare. Gunaratne's 25-ball 39 included three fours and one six, while the Kiwi all-rounder Grandhomme contributed with four fours and one six in his 24-ball 38. Nurse emerged as the most expensive bowler, conceding 48 runs in his four overs.
Looking ahead, Manipal Tigers are set to face the Suresh Raina-led Urbanisers Hyderabad in the final on December 9. The Urbanisers secured a convincing 75-run win over Manipal Tigers in the first qualifier, thanks to Dwayne Smith's impressive 120-run knock.
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