WI Masters fall short in T20 thriller against India Masters

RAIPUR, India (CMC):

The West Indies Masters suffered a heart-wrenching seven-run defeat to India Masters in a high-octane International Masters League T20 clash here on Saturday.

India Masters set the stage alight after opting to take the first strike, posting a mammoth 253-3 in their 20 overs. Ambati Rayudu (63 off 35) and Saurabh Tiwary (60 off 37) laid the foundation with aggressive half-centuries, while captain Yuvraj Singh's explosive unbeaten 49 off 20 balls provided the late fireworks.

The West Indies bowlers found it tough to contain the onslaught, with Jerome Taylor (1-42), Sulieman Benn (1-34), and Jonathan Carter (1-52) managing to pick up wickets.

In response, the West Indies Masters launched a fearless chase, spearheaded by opener Dwayne Smith's sensational 79 off 34 balls. Smith's innings, laced with seven fours and six sixes, came at a staggering strike rate of 232.35.

William Perkins provided solid support with a fluent 52 off 24 balls, while Lendl Simmons chipped in with a cameo knock of 38 off just 13 deliveries.

However, the chase lost steam after the dismissals of Smith and Simmons. Jonathan Carter (11), Kirk Edwards (4), and Narsingh Deonarine (28) couldn't maintain the required momentum, leaving Ashley Nurse (21 not out) and captain Brian Lara (4 not out) with an insurmountable task in the final overs.

India's bowlers held their composure under pressure, with Stuart Binny (3-13) and Pawan Negi (2-27) making crucial breakthroughs to derail the West Indies' charge, which fizzled out at 246-6 in their 20 overs.

After starting their campaign with wins over England and Australia, the West Indies Masters have now stumbled with consecutive losses, including Thursday's defeat to Sri Lanka. With four points, they've slipped to fourth place in the league standings, behind India (8 points), Sri Lanka (6), and Australia, who also have four points but edge ahead on net run rate.