The Montreal Tigers are champions of the 2023 Global T20 Canada after a five-wicket win over the Surrey Jaguars in the final at the CAA Center in Brampton on Sunday.

The Tigers restricted the Jaguars to a modest 130-5 from their 20 overs after winning the toss and electing to field first.

Jatinder Singh led the way for the Jaguars with an unbeaten 57-ball 56 while Ayaan Khan made 26 off 15 balls including two sixes.

Montreal’s bowling effort was led by 17-year-old Aayan Afzal Khan who took 2-21 from his four overs while Andre Russell also bowled well for his 1-24 off four overs.

Player of the Match and player of the series, Sherfane Rutherford, then led the successful chase with a responsible 38* off 29 balls as the Tigers reached 135-5 off 20 overs.

Rutherford’s knock included three fours and two sixes. Captain Chris Lynn also contributed 31 while Russell hit 20* off just six balls including the match-winning six off the final ball with the Tigers needing two to win.

Iftikhar Ahmed tried his best for the Jaguars with 2-8 from his four overs.

Rutherford ended the tournament with 220 runs from eight innings at an average of 44. Barbadian Matthew Forde took 15 wickets to finish as the top wicket-taker.

Hard-hitting Guyanese left-hander, Sherfane Rutherford, played a starring role to lead the Montreal Tigers to a one-wicket win over Vancouver Knights in Qualifier 2 of the Global T20 Canada at the CAA Canter in Brampton on Saturday.

After winning the toss and electing to field first, the Tigers restricted the Knights to 137-6 off their 20 overs.

Pakistani opener Mohammad Rizwan led the way for the Knights with 39 off 33 balls while South African Corbin Bosch hit a 28-ball 36 including one four and three sixes.

Abbas Afridi was the main destroyer for the Tigers with 5-29 from his four overs.

Montreal’s chase did not get off to a good start at all as they lost their first four wickets for just 29 runs within the first five overs. A 43-run fifth wicket stand between Rutherford and Dipendra Singh Airee provided some stability before the latter fell in the 13^th over.

Another hard-hitting West Indian, Andre Russell, joined Rutherford at the crease and the pair added just 18 before Russell fell in the 15^th over for an 11-ball 17 including one four and two sixes.

Carlos Brathwaite then joined Rutherford at the crease but didn’t last long, facing only two balls and making one to leave the Tigers 97-7 in the middle of the 16^th over.

17-year-old Aayan Afzal Khan then joined Rutherford and the two formed what eventually became a match-winning 26-run eighth wicket partnership before Khan was the first of consecutive wickets in the 19^th over bowled by Junaid Siddique leaving the Tigers needing 15 off the last over with Rutherford on strike facing Rayyan Pathan’s medium pace.

The pressure did not phase Rutherford at all as he deposited the first three balls of the over into the crowd to book the Tigers spot in the final set for Sunday against the Surrey Jaguars at the same venue.

Rutherford finished 48* off 34 balls including two fours and three sixes.

Siddique took 4-22 from his four overs for the Knights. Fabian Allen gave the Knights a good start with 2-15 from his two overs.

Andre Russell and Chris Gayle are among some of the marquee players drafted for the 2023 edition of the Global T20 Canada that returns after an absence of four years.

Previously held in 2018 and 2019, the third edition of the league will bowl off July 20 and conclude on August 6 in Ontario after a four-year hiatus.

Russell has signed to play for Montreal Tigers and will play alongside Shakib al Hasan, Sherfane Rutherford and Carlos Brathwaite as well as Zahir Khan.

Gayle, meanwhile, will suit up for Mississauga Panthers where his power-hitting skills will be complemented by the likes of Shoaib Malik, James Neesham and Cameron Delport.

The other teams in the Global T20 Canada are the Surrey Tigers,  Brampton Wolves, Vancouver Knights and Toronto Nationals.