India Masters had the West Indies Masters in a chokehold as their left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem weaved a web in the first innings of the ongoing International Masters League T20 2025 final at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur. After opting to bat first, the West Indies Masters could only manage to score 148 runs in their 20 overs.
The innings started on a position note for the West Indies as their in-form opener Dwayne Smith hit a flurry of boundaries, including a six in the fourth over. The team from the Caribbean also made a change in their batting order with their captain Brian Lara coming to open. However, the movie backfired as Lara departed early after scoring only six runs. He was dismissed by Vinay Kumar.
Lara’s dismissal was followed by a collapse. The West Indies Masters, a side boasting of an explosive batting line-up, were held captive by the Indian bowlers, especially Nadeem, who stifled the opposition with his spin.
Nadeem picked up the wickets of William Perkins and Smith as the West Indies had to play catch-up for the entirety of the innings. The tweaker gave away only 12 runs in his four overs and claimed two scalps.
ADVERTISEMENT
Loading...
Lendl Simmons Leads Fightback
While the West Indies looked down and out at 85/5 in 12 overs, Lendl Simmons gave his team a leg up. He formed a 61-run partnership for the sixth wicket along with Denesh Ramdin, who was playing the second-fiddle.
Simmons' 41-ball 57 ensured that the West Indies stayed in the game and had something to fight for going into the second innings.
The West Indies recorded a total of 148/7, their lowest in the tournament. If they manage to defend this, it will be the lowest score defended in the IML T20 2025.
More About India vs West Indies International Masters League 2025 Final
India Masters vs West Indies Masters Live Scorecard
