Royal Riders Punjab chased down 164 with 9 balls to spare, beating Mumbai Spartans by 4 wickets in a rain-shortened 15-over contest in Match 9 of the Legends League Cricket 2026 at Haldwani. As a result, Thisara Perera earned Player of the Match for a jaw-dropping unbeaten 45 off just 16 balls that powered the chase in the death overs.
Batting first, Mumbai Spartans posted a mammoth 163/6 in 15 overs, driven almost entirely by Bharath Chipli’s incredible 80 off 33 balls with four fours and a remarkable nine sixes. Meanwhile, Angelo Perera was outstanding with the ball for RRP, claiming 3/23 in 3 overs, including two wickets on consecutive deliveries.
In reply, Royal Riders Punjab were in trouble at 95/5 after 9.6 overs, still needing 69 off 32 balls. However, Thisara Perera produced one of the most explosive finishes of the LLC 2026 season. His 45 not out off 16 balls (1 four, 5 sixes) combined with Chaturanga de Silva’s unbeaten 8 off 3 ensured RRP reached 165/6 in 13.3 overs.
Match Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Mumbai Spartans vs Royal Riders Punjab, 9th Match, Legends League Cricket 2026 |
| Venue | Indira Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Haldwani |
| Result | Royal Riders Punjab won by 4 wickets |
| Mumbai Spartans | 163/6 (15 overs) |
| Royal Riders Punjab | 165/6 (13.3 overs) |
| Player of the Match | Thisara Perera (45* off 16, 1×4, 5×6) |
| Note | 15-over game due to rain |
First Innings Highlights
Here are Key Moments from 1st Innings:
Chipli’s 80 Off 33: Nine Sixes in a Stunning Blitz
Bharath Chipli played one of the best innings of the entire LLC 2026 season. Opening alongside captain S Sreesanth, Chipli took the attack to the RRP bowlers from ball one. The opening pair put on 59 runs in just 27 balls, with Chipli contributing 53 of those off only 18 deliveries. Sreesanth played the anchor role at the other end, scoring 4 off 10 before Angelo Perera bowled him at 59/1 in the 5th over. The Mumbai Spartans scored 66 runs in the 5-over powerplay, an outstanding start in a shortened game.
Mausif Khan (20 off 13, 2 fours, 1 six) continued the momentum, adding 47 runs in 26 balls with Chipli for the second wicket. Chipli’s final numbers were extraordinary: 80 off 33 balls with four fours and nine sixes at a strike rate of 242.42. Out of his 80 runs, 70 came from boundaries alone. He was eventually caught by Raghav Dhawan off Angelo Perera at 106/2 in the 9th over. On the very next delivery, Perera struck again, dismissing Asad Pathan for a golden duck (caught and bowled) at 106/3. Two wickets on successive balls gave Perera figures of 3/23 in 3 overs.
Lower Order Contributes Despite Late Wickets
Mausif Khan was run out by Raghav Dhawan and Phil Mustard for 20 at 116/4 in the 10th over. However, Shoaib Khan ensured the scoring rate stayed high with a punchy 22 off 9 balls (2 fours, 2 sixes) at a strike rate of 244.44. He was caught by Samiullah Shinwari off Chaturanga de Silva at 151/5 in the 13th over. Additionally, Amit Verma chipped in with 18 off 14 (2 fours, 1 six) before falling to Danushka Gunathilaka at 160/6. Manan Sharma (5 not out) and Suboth Bhati (1 not out) saw out the remaining balls as Mumbai Spartans finished on 163/6, a total that looked highly competitive in a 15-over game.
| Category | Player | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Best Batsman | Bharath Chipli | 80 runs (33 balls, 4×4, 9×6) |
| Best Bowler | Angelo Perera | 3-0-23-3 |
Second Innings Highlights
Here are Key Moments from 2nd Innings:
Early Wickets Make the Chase Look Impossible
Mohammad Shahzad fell in the very first over, bowled by Manan Sharma for 10 off 5 balls (1 four, 1 six) at 11/1. From there, Danushka Gunathilaka (26 off 22, 3 fours, 1 six) and Samiullah Shinwari (13 off 15, 1 four, 1 six) added 33 runs in 28 balls for the second wicket. However, Amit Verma dismissed Shinwari at 44/2 in the 6th over. Subsequently, Shoaib Khan removed Gunathilaka at 69/3 in the 8th over. RRP managed just 39 runs in the 5-over powerplay, well behind the required rate of nearly 11 an over.
Afghan Falls as the Required Rate Climbs
Asghar Afghan came in and counter-attacked briefly with 22 off 11 balls (1 four, 2 sixes) at a strike rate of 200.00. He put on 25 runs in 15 balls with Gunathilaka for the third wicket before the latter fell. Then, Afghan added just 8 runs in 5 balls with Thisara Perera before Asad Pathan had him caught by Amit Verma at 77/4 in the 9th over. Sarul Kanwar struck a quickfire 12 off 6 (1 four, 1 six) but fell to Shoaib Khan (caught and bowled) at 95/5 in the 10th over. At that stage, RRP still needed 69 runs off 32 balls with just five wickets remaining. The chase looked dead and buried.
Thisara Perera’s 45* Off 16 Wins It in Stunning Fashion
What happened next was nothing short of sensational. Angelo Perera joined Thisara Perera and the pair added 30 runs in just 10 balls for the sixth wicket. Angelo smashed 15 off 7 (3 fours) before Manan Sharma had him caught by Suboth Bhati at 125/6 in the 12th over. Even then, RRP still needed 39 off 19 balls. Enter Chaturanga de Silva. Together with Perera, they produced an unbeaten 40-run partnership in just 11 balls to seal the win. Perera finished on a spectacular 45 not out off 16 balls with one four and five sixes at a strike rate of 281.25. De Silva remained unbeaten on 8 off 3 (1 six). Royal Riders Punjab reached 165/6 in 13.3 overs, winning with 9 balls to spare. For Mumbai Spartans, Asad Pathan conceded 52 runs in 3 overs at an economy of 17.30, the most expensive spell of the match.
| Category | Player | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Best Batsman | Thisara Perera | 45* runs (16 balls, 1×4, 5×6) |
| Best Bowler | Manan Sharma | 3-0-29-2 |
