Raipur, March 14: West Indies Masters won by 6 runs against Sri Lanka Masters in the second semifinal of the International Masters League (IML) 2025. This win secured them a spot in the final, where they will face India Masters on Sunday.
West Indies Masters put up a strong all-round performance, led by Brian Lara’s 41 runs and Denesh Ramdin’s explosive 50 not out. Tino Best’s 4-wicket haul helped them bowl out Sri Lanka Masters for 173/9, setting up the 6-run victory.
After being put to bat, West Indies Masters struggled early, losing Dwayne Smith quickly. However, William Perkins (24) and Lendl Simmons (17) steadied the innings with a 43-run partnership. Brian Lara then played a key role, scoring 41 runs, and later, Denesh Ramdin finished strong with 50 runs off 22 balls.
Sri Lanka Masters never fully recovered from early wickets. Asela Gunaratne fought hard with a brilliant 66 off 42 balls, but regular wickets kept them behind in the chase. Tino Best was the standout bowler, taking 4 wickets for 27 runs.
West Indies Masters will now face India Masters in the final after both teams won their respective semifinals.
Brief Scores:
- West Indies Masters: 179/5 (Denesh Ramdin 50*, Brian Lara 41, Chadwick Walton 31; Asela Gunaratne 1/14, Jeevan Mendis 1/26)
- Sri Lanka Masters: 173/9 (Asela Gunaratne 66, Upul Tharanga 30; Tino Best 4/27, Dwayne Smith 2/37)
West Indies Masters won by 6 runs and will play India Masters in the IML 2025 final.
