The Asia Lions, led by Shahid Afridi, defeated the in-form World Giants to win the Legends League Cricket (LLC) 2023 title on Monday (March 20). The Lions defeated the Giants by seven wickets and 23 balls, thanks to half-centuries from former Sri Lankan batters Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan.
Tharanga and Dilshan dominated the World Giants attack, scoring 115 runs in 9.6 overs for the opening stand. Dilshan hit 58 off 42 balls, including eight boundaries, while Tharanga hit 57 off 28 balls, including five boundaries and three sixes. Tharanga was named Player of the Series as he also scored a 50 against India Maharajas to propel Asia Lions to the final.
Earlier, despite Jacques Kallis’ unbeaten 78 runs off 54 balls with five boundaries and three sixes, Asia Lions restricted World Giants to 147 for 4. Kallis also shared a 92-run fourth-wicket stand with Ross Taylor, who hit 32 off 33 balls with three boundaries.
The World Giants’ opening batters, Lendl Simmons and Morne van Wyk, were unable to produce anything special. Morne returned to the hut after 7 balls without scoring a run. Shane Watson, captain of the World Giants, also left without scoring a run in two balls. Simmons then returned to the dugout after scoring only 17 runs. Kallis and Taylor then formed a significant partnership for the World Giants.
Kallis returned unbeaten after a brilliant 78-run knock in 54 balls. In his innings, he hit five boundaries and three brilliant sixes. Ross, on the other hand, batted slowly, scoring 32 runs off 33 balls and hitting three boundaries. Paul Collingwood scored six runs and Samit Patel scored three. Asia Lions’ Abdul Razzaq took two wickets, and Thisara Perera took one.
After a 115-run opening partnership, Abdur Razzaq was out for 3 runs in the chase. The Asia Lions, on the other hand, won thanks to innings of 9 runs each from Mohammad Hafeez and Misbah-ul-Haq.
Here is how Twitter reacted to Asia Lions’ win
Lala 1 hi Dil hai kitni bar jeetoge… Love you @SAfridiOfficial #LegendsLeagueCricket https://t.co/Hq0IZqoko8
— Saqib Ayub (@SAyubofficial) March 21, 2023
Congratulations Shahid Afridi ??#LegendsLeagueCricket pic.twitter.com/kDBjdAWlo7
— king_babar_fans (@King_babar_fans) March 21, 2023
Afridi ka daur hai bhai.
??#LegendsLeagueCricket#ShahidAfridi pic.twitter.com/6QSc2vBY7B— Quratulain Abbasi (@quratulain1460) March 21, 2023
Champion ?
Without Waqar & Wasim Lala Done it For His Team!! EverGreen Lala???#LegendsLeagueCricket pic.twitter.com/hu9l0uGDzh— ???_???? (@Khan786Aliyan) March 21, 2023
#AsiaLions made history, as they defeat World Giants by 7 wickets to win the title of the Legends League Cricket 2023 under the captaincy of Shahid Afridi. Congratulations Lions ?
Brilliant from Boom Boom boys! #ShahidAfridi #LegendsLeagueCricket @SAfridiOfficial #LLCT20 pic.twitter.com/0fAFGqa7dX— Wahid Ak Soomro (@Wahidakoffical) March 21, 2023
If Ashok dinda is legend then I am king
— Pandey Nishant (@nishant133inSL) March 21, 2023
India Maharaja should stop taking participation in this league if they want to send below avg players. Other two teams are playing with legends and Big superstars of cricket while we are playing with players like Dinda Binny Awana. If u can't find better player don't participate
— CricOnClick ? (@CricOnClick) March 20, 2023
SON IN LAW wins the PSL
FATHER IN LAW wins the LLC
in the gap of two days ??— EJAZ BUTT (@_Ejaz_butt) March 20, 2023
Our Evergreen Lala ?
— Nazia Sheikh (@n_sheikh007) March 20, 2023
PSL 8 = Father in Law (Shahid Khan Afridi)
LLC 3 = Son in Law ( Shaheen SHAH AFRIDI ?)
Both are champions in less than week duration.
Afridi to phr Afridi ha na .#ShahidAfridi #shaheenafridi— Muhammad Zeeshan (@Muhamma38207261) March 20, 2023
