Cheteshwar Pujara showcased a rare and aggressive batting spectacle in the World Legends Pro T20 League 2026, smashing 99 runs off 60 balls in a thrilling chase for the Gurugram Thunders. In a match that went down to the wire, Pujara’s power hitting underlined a surprising but welcome evolution in his game, even though he narrowly missed out on a T20 century. His knock was one of the standout performances of the tournament so far, delivering entertainment and competitiveness in equal measure.
Details about the match
The match took place at the 1919 Sportz Cricket Stadium in Goa, where Gurugram Thunders were chasing a strong total set by the Dubai Royals. The Royals posted a competitive score of 200 for 5 in their 20 overs, with key contributions from their middle order that set up a challenging target for the visitors.
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Thunders found themselves in a tricky chase but with momentum in hand thanks to late hitting, setting up an exciting finish in the final overs. Pujara’s arrival at the crease came at a time when his team needed stability and acceleration in equal measure.
Pujara’s blistering innings
Cheteshwar Pujara’s innings was defined by fearless intent and aggressive strokeplay, a stark contrast to his usual role as a Test specialist known for patience and technique. He raced to 99 runs off just 60 deliveries, striking at an impressive rate in a format that demands rapid scoring. During his knock, he struck 14 fours and one six, consistently piercing gaps and punishing anything loose.
Pujara’s performance put Thunders firmly in control of the chase, and at 197 for 4 in 19.3 overs, they were just four runs short of victory with the veteran batsman still at the crease. Unfortunately for Pujara and his team, he was stumped off a delivery from Piyush Chawla for 99, leaving him agonisingly short of what would have been his first ever T20 century across all domestic and international T20s.
Heroics go in vain
Despite Pujara’s incredible effort, Gurugram Thunders fell just short of the target. The Royals held on and secured a dramatic three-run victory in one of the closest finishes of the Legends Pro League season. The heart-stopping ending came as Thunders could not find the final runs in the last over, even with Pujara’s heroics nearly engineering the comeback.
While the Thunders were left to rue the narrow loss, Pujara’s innings became the primary talking point of the match, widely shared and applauded across social media for its aggression and near-historic impact.
What made the innings special
Pujara has long been regarded as one of India’s finest Test batters, famed for his discipline, technique and ability to grind long innings in the longest format. His performance in Goa, however, highlighted a different dimension: the ability to adapt his game and play an explosive innings in a T20 setting when the situation demanded.
The knock was not just about the raw numbers; it was about the timing and context. In a difficult chase where pacing the innings and finishing under pressure are paramount, Pujara’s aggressive approach combined calculated risk with impactful strokeplay.
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A look at his career
Although Pujara is best known for his stellar Test career with over 7,000 runs and a reputation as a cornerstone of India’s batting in the long format, his domestic and limited-overs outings have often shown flashes of adaptability. He played in the Indian Premier League earlier in his career for teams including Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings, though he never became a regular T20 standout in the IPL.
His near-century in the Legends Pro League added a fresh chapter to his legacy, underscoring that even specialists can entertain in the shortest format when given the opportunity.
