The West Indies Masters suffered a narrow seven-run defeat to India Masters in a high-scoring International Masters League T20 encounter in Raipur on Saturday. Despite spirited performances from Dwayne Smith, William Perkins, and Lendl Simmons, the Caribbean side fell just short in an electrifying chase of 254.
Having started their campaign with victories over England and Australia, the West Indies Masters have now lost back-to-back matches following Thursday’s defeat to Sri Lanka. The loss sees them remain on four points and drop to fourth in the league standings, trailing India (8), Sri Lanka (6), and Australia, who also have four points but boast a superior net run rate.
Batting first, India Masters piled on a formidable 253-3 in their 20 overs, powered by explosive knocks from Ambati Rayudu (63 off 38 balls), Saurabh Tiwary (60 off 37), and captain Yuvraj Singh (49 off 20). The late onslaught from Yusuf Pathan (14 off 7) further boosted India’s total. West Indies' bowlers struggled to contain the onslaught, with Jerome Taylor (1-42), Sulieman Benn (1-34), and Jonathan Carter (1-52) being the only wicket-takers.
In pursuit of 254, Dwayne Smith led the charge with a brilliant 79 off 34 balls, smashing seven fours and six sixes at a blistering strike rate of 232.35. William Perkins also impressed with a composed 52 off 24 balls, while Lendl Simmons played a breathtaking cameo, blasting 38 from just 13 deliveries at an astonishing strike rate of 292.31.
However, after a strong start, the chase lost momentum following the dismissals of Smith and Simmons. Jonathan Carter (11), Kirk Edwards (4), and Narsingh Deonarine (28) failed to sustain the tempo, leaving Ashley Nurse (21*) and captain Brian Lara (4*) with too much to do in the final overs.
India’s bowlers held their nerve, with Stuart Binny (3-13) and Pawan Negi (2-27) making crucial breakthroughs to peg back the West Indies Masters. Irfan Pathan also played a key role, finishing with figures of 1-47.
With this loss, West Indies Masters find themselves in a must-win situation heading into their remaining fixtures. Their early wins over England and Australia provided a strong foundation, but consecutive defeats to Sri Lanka and India have put them in a precarious position.