Cheteshwar Pujara scored 99(60) [Source: Fancode]Famous for his gritty and resolute red-ball batting, Cheteshwar Pujara had everyone in awe on Wednesday afternoon, as his team, Gurugram Thunders, faced Dubai Royals in the World Legends Pro T20 League in Goa. The batter was seen in an unprecedented avatar, scoring freely at a pace not generally associated with him, to give his team a chance and almost carrying the bat in a 201-run chase in 20 overs. Pujara grabs headlines with a brutal 99 The Dubai Royals captain, Shikhar Dhawan, won the toss and opted to bat first against the Thunders and scored 200 runs, thanks to Samit Patel’s 65 (32) and Ambati Rayudu’s 45 (27). As Pujara walked in as an opener, the 38-year-old took on the bowlers at will, surprising many with this explosive approach as his team marched towards the target. While he lost two partners, Phil Mustard and Jermaine Blackwood, early on in his innings, he kept attacking and added 42 runs with Colin de Grandhomme and another 106 with captain Thisara Perera for the next two wickets. During his stay at the crease, he scored a whopping 14 fours and a solitary six, which came in the 8th over off Piyush Chawla bowling. Unfortunately, the former India number 3 was stumped off a Chawla delivery in the final over, when he had almost taken his team through. Notably, in his 71-match T20 career, Pujara has scored 1556 runs at a rate of 112.18, with only one century to his name, as opposed to the 66 FC tons, making this innings a surprise for many spectators. Pujara’s missed century in vain At the 19.3 over mark, after Pujara had missed his ton, the well-set Perera was still unbeaten at the non-striker’s end on 56 off 27 with three fours and four sixes. The team required just 4 runs in the final three deliveries. However, captain Perera was left stranded at the other end, and Chirag Gandhi got out without being able to open his account in the 3 balls faced. Piyush Chawla was the Royals’ man of the moment for 3/35 in his 4 overs, heroically defending 7 runs in the final over after Dhawan called upon him. Gurugram Thunder remain winless As things stand after playing the two matches of the inaugural season of the league, Gurugram Thunder, led by Perera, remain without a win. In the first match, when Pujara batted at 3, scoring 16 off 13, they failed to defend 160 runs. Martin Guptill got a fiery 68(28) with seven towering sixes in the game to run away with the run chase, wrapping things up in just 17 overs. Up next, Pujara and team will play the Maharashtra Tycoons on Thursday, January 29, at the same venue, with the hope of opening their points tally for the season.The Carlos Brathwaite-led Tycoons, starring the likes of Chris Gayle, Sir Alastair Cook and Stuart Binny among others, are coming off an 8-run win in their season opener against the Rajasthan Lions and sit at the number 2 spot in the table.
