IML 2025: West Indies Masters sets up final clash with India after nervy win against Sri Lanka
IML 2025: West Indies Masters sets up final clash with India after nervy win against Sri Lanka
West Indies Masters came up with a clinical all-round show, riding a half-century from Denesh Ramdin and an equally effective knock from Brian Lara, before Tino Best’s four-wicket burst helped the Caribbean outfit register a six-run win over Sri Lanka Masters in the second semifinal of the International Masters League (IML) 2025
With the win, West Indies has set its date with the Sachin Tendulkar-led India Masters in Sunday’s title clash at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Chhattisgarh.
Lara rolled back the years, leading his side’s fightback with a stroke-filled 41 against a disciplined Sri Lanka attack before Denesh Ramdin provided the late flourish with an explosive unbeaten 50 to propel the West Indies Masters to 179/5.
In reply, Sri Lanka could never recover from the early jolts before Tino Best came up with an incisive spell of pace bowling, taking four wickets to eventually restrict the Islanders to 173/9.
Sri Lanka’s chase never quite took off as wickets tumbled at regular intervals, putting it on the back foot early. Asela Gunaratne was the only batter to rise to the occasion, with a stellar 66 off 42 balls, comprising seven fours and a six, but his valiant effort went in vain against a disciplined West Indies Masters bowling attack.
Published on Mar 15, 2025
