Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], March 15 : West Indies Masters came up with a clinical all-round show, riding a half century from Denesh Ramdin and an equally effective knock from Brian Lara, before Tino Best's four-wicket burst helped the Caribbean outfit register a six-run win over Sri Lanka Masters in the second semifinal of the International Masters League (IML) 2025, and set their date with the Sachin Tendulkar-led India Masters in Sunday's title clash at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium here.
Lara rolled back the years, leading his side's fightback with a stroke-filled 41 against a disciplined Sri Lanka Masters attack before Denesh Ramdin provided the late flourish with an explosive unbeaten 50 to propel the West Indies Masters to 179/5. In reply, Sri Lanka Masters could never recover from the early jolts before Tino Best came up with an incisive spell of pace bowling, taking four wickets to eventually restrict the Islanders to 173/9.
Put in to bat, West Indies Masters were rocked early with the in-form Dwayne Smith falling cheaply. But William Perkins (24) and Lendl Simmons (17) steadied the innings, weathering the powerplay storm with a gritty 43-run partnership. Just as they seemed to settle, Sri Lanka Masters struck twice in quick succession, tightening their grip and leaving the Caribbean side struggling at 48/3.
That brought the West Indies great into the middle, and even at 55, his footwork remained as nimble as ever, his strokes as elegant as they were in his prime. As Lara took guard with his trademark flourish, the stylish southpaw took it upon himself to anchor the innings. Partnering with Chadwick Walton, Lara stitched together a crucial 60-run stand, guiding his team past the 100-run mark.
Walton, playing the aggressor, took the fight to the Sri Lankan bowlers, hammering a brisk 20-ball 31, before Asela Gunaratne cut short his counterattack, dealing the West Indies Masters another setback. With a final berth at stake and the contest delicately poised, Lara's presence in the middle signalled that the West Indies Masters were far from done.
The iconic left-hander held fort, threading the gaps, playing the field and keeping the scoreboard ticking until he retired after facing 33 deliveries, and slamming four boundaries and a six. At the other end, wicketkeeper-batter Denesh Ramdin provided the perfect foil, before taking the attack to the opposition with four fours and three mammoth sixes for a quickfire 22-ball 50, ensuring that the West Indies Masters inched closer to the formidable total.
Sri Lanka Masters' chase never quite took off as wickets tumbled at regular intervals, putting them on the back foot early. Asela Gunaratne was the only batter to rise to the occasion, with a stellar 66 off 42 balls, comprising seven fours and a six, but his valiant effort went in vain against a disciplined West Indies Masters bowling attack.
The West Indies Masters wasted no time in making inroads, striking a massive blow inside the powerplay with the prized wicket of skipper Kumar Sangakkara (17). Just as Sri Lanka Masters looked to rebuild, Tino Best produced a fiery spell, rattling the Islanders with twin strikes in the space of three deliveries, removing Upul Tharanga and Lahiru Thirimanne to leave them reeling at 57/3.
With the pressure mounting, Gunaratne stood tall, raging a lone battle with a 32-ball fifty before Jerome Taylor and Dwayne Smith further compounded Sri Lanka's woes, dismissing Seekkuge Prasanna (9) and Chaturanga de Silva (1), respectively. Best then returned for a second spell, making an immediate impact by sending Jeevan Mendis back to the dugout, reducing the Islanders to a precarious 97/6 with more than six overs still to play.
With Gunaratne still in the middle and Isuru Udana using the long handle to good effect for a 10-ball 21, Sri Lanka Masters' hopes were raised with the pair putting on a vital 39-run partnership until Smith got the better of the latter to douse their aspirations. The equation was brought down to Sri Lanka Masters needing 15 off the final over, and Gunaratne smoked Lendl Simmons for a six off the first ball before the bowler pulled things back brilliantly by dismissing Gunaratne off the final ball.
On Sunday, India Masters, the winners of the first semifinal, will face the West Indies Masters in the much-anticipated IML 2025 title clash.
Brief Scores: West Indies Masters 179/5 in 20 overs (Dinesh Ramdin 50*, Brian Lara 41; Asela Gunaratne 1/14) vs Sri Lanka Masters 173/9 (Asela Gunaratne 66, Upul Tharanga 30; Tino Best 4/27).