Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Feb 10 Martin Guptill of New Zealand produced a once-in-a-lifetime knock in the Legend 90 League, smashing an unbeaten 160 off just 49 balls to propel Chhattisgarh Warriors to a monumental 89-run win over Big Boys Unikari here on Monday. The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium turned into a spectacle as Guptill’s brutal knock single-handedly outscored the opposition’s entire total.
A celebrated name in New Zealand's white-ball cricket history, Guptill set the stadium ablaze after the Warriors opted to bat first. The start was measured, but the veteran opener soon unleashed carnage, reaching his half-century in just 21 balls.
The real fireworks began in the 12th over when he plundered 29 runs off Ishan Malhotra, bringing up his century in just 34 balls, becoming the first player to score a century in the Legend 90 League. His next fifty came in just 13 deliveries, taking his total to a staggering 160 not out, the highest individual score of the tournament.
Guptill's brutal assault included 12 fours and 16 sixes at an extraordinary strike rate of 326.53. He was ably supported by Rishi Dhawan, who played an equally impressive innings, remaining unbeaten on 76 off 42 balls.
The duo forged an unbroken 240-run stand, the highest partnership in the competition, powering the Warriors to a record-breaking total of 240 for no loss in their allotted 15 overs. This marked the first 200+ total in the tournament’s history.
In response, Big Boys Unikari had an uphill task and crumbled under the scoreboard pressure.
Their chase got off to the worst possible start as they lost Jatin Saxena early to Manan Sharma. Captain Ishan Malhotra soon followed, dismissed by Abhimanyu Mithun. Despite Saurabh Tiwary (37) and Robin Bist’s (55 not out) valiant efforts, the team never looked in control and was eventually restricted to 151/4, falling 89 runs short.
With this commanding win, Chhattisgarh Warriors secured their third consecutive victory and surged to the top of the table.
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