Royal Riders Punjab vs India Tigers Match 2 Highlights & Recap

India Tigers kicked off their Legends League Cricket 2026 campaign with a comfortable 20-run victory over Royal Riders Punjab at Haldwani. Kuldeep Hooda anchored the innings with the bat, scoring a composed 48 off 38 balls.

Pawan Negi delivered the standout all-round performance of the night with a blistering 41 off 18 balls and 2/22 with the ball. India Tigers posted 168/8 after choosing to bowl first lost the toss. Kuldeep Hooda and Pawan Negi rescued the innings from 61/5 with a match-turning partnership. Anureet Singh claimed three wickets for Royal Riders Punjab.

The chase started explosively with Mohammad Shahzad smashing 48 off just 18 balls with four fours and four sixes. However, India Tigers’ spin attack triggered a collapse. Royal Riders Punjab lost their last six wickets for just 25 runs. They finished at 148/9 in 20 overs, falling 20 runs short.

Match Details

First Innings Highlights

India Tigers lost openers Kirk Edwards (14 off 12) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (9 off 10) inside the first four overs. Anureet Singh was the wrecker-in-chief, removing both in quick succession. Farman Ahmed then dismissed Samit Patel for a duck, and the Tigers slumped to 36/3 by the end of the powerplay. Milinda Siriwardana struggled to 7 off 17 before Farman Ahmed got him as well, leaving India Tigers reeling at 48/4.

Kuldeep Hooda steadied things from one end with a composed knock. Jeevan Mendis offered a brief 8 off 8 before being stumped by Phil Mustard off Chaturanga de Silva. At 61/5 in 10.3 overs, the innings looked like it was heading nowhere. Then Pawan Negi walked in and changed everything. He blasted 41 off just 18 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes at a strike rate of 227.78. His partnership of 64 runs with Hooda took the score from 61/5 to 125/6 and completely shifted momentum.

Kuldeep Hooda eventually fell for 48 off 38 balls (5 fours, 1 six) after anchoring the middle overs beautifully. Amit Paunikar provided the finishing punch with an unbeaten 15 off 7 balls. Akalanka Ganegama added 9 off 7 before being run out on the final ball. India Tigers posted 168/8 thanks to a late surge of 43 runs in the last 3 overs. Anureet Singh finished with excellent figures of 3/21 while Farman Ahmed claimed 2/25.

Second Innings Highlights

Mohammad Shahzad and Phil Mustard opened the chase for Royal Riders Punjab. Shahzad treated the bowling like a personal net session, smashing 48 off just 18 balls with four fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 266.67. He single-handedly kept the required rate in check, racing the score to 50/1 in 3.6 overs.

Sumit Singh broke through, catching Shahzad off Shadab Jakati’s bowling. Phil Mustard fell soon after for 6, trapped LBW by Pawan Negi. Rishi Dhawan (45 off 39, 7 fours) and Asghar Afghan (28 off 31, 3 sixes) rebuilt with a 62-run stand for the third wicket. Pawan Negi stumped Afghan in the 15th over at 123/3. From there, Royal Riders Punjab needed 46 off 30 balls, but wickets tumbled fast.

Jeevan Mendis dismissed both Rishi Dhawan and Thisara Perera in the 17th over, and the chase fell apart. Royal Riders Punjab collapsed from 123/3 to 148/9, losing six wickets for just 25 runs. Jeevan Mendis finished with outstanding figures of 2/14 in 4 overs at an economy of just 3.50. Samit Patel chipped in with 2/24, and Pawan Negi completed his all-round display with 2/22. India Tigers sealed a convincing 20-run victory.