Navi Mumbai, Feb 26 : Young participants from the Sachin Tendulkar Foundation’s (STF) Sports for Development program had a once-in-a-lifetime experience as they stepped onto the field alongside cricketing legends at DY Patil Stadium during the International Masters League (IML). Their excitement was evident as they stood proudly next to Sachin Tendulkar and the India Masters and England Masters teams while the National Anthem played.
The packed stadium witnessed an enthralling contest as former cricketing stars showcased their skills under the floodlights. India Masters put on a dominant performance, defeating England Masters by nine wickets in an action-packed IML 2025 match. Chasing a target of 133, Sachin Tendulkar rolled back the years with a fluent 34 off 21 balls, including five boundaries and a six, building a quickfire 75-run opening partnership in just seven overs with Gurkeerat Singh Mann. Mann remained unbeaten with an aggressive 63 off 35 balls. The crowd fell silent as Tendulkar was dismissed by Chris Schofield, but Yuvraj Singh reignited the excitement with a six off his second ball, smashing 27 runs off 14 deliveries. His unbroken 57-run partnership with Gurkeerat helped India Masters seal the win in just 11.4 overs.
Earlier, in the third match of the inaugural IML season, Sachin Tendulkar’s India Masters opted to field first against Eoin Morgan’s England Masters. The decision proved fruitful as Abhimanyu Mithun struck early, dismissing Phil Mustard in the third over, followed by Dhawal Kulkarni sending Morgan back for 14. England’s innings found some stability through a 43-run stand between Tim Ambrose (23) and Darren Maddy (25), but left-arm spinner Pawan Negi’s double strike kept India in control. Despite late contributions from Tim Bresnan (16) and Chris Schofield (18*), England could only manage 132 runs. India’s disciplined bowling attack shone, with Kulkarni leading the charge with 3/21, while Mithun and Negi picked up two wickets each. Vinay Kumar also chipped in with a wicket, ensuring a commanding performance by India Masters. (ANI)
