The second edition of the Road Safety Series was won by India Legends, who defeated Sri Lanka Legends by 33 runs in the final.
The global competition, featuring retired cricket stars from eight different sides, is staged annually to raise awareness of road safety in India. For the legends involved, their skills may have dipped, but their competitive instincts remain as sharp as ever.
This year, the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Ian Bell and Brian Lara turned out – but none of them made it to Wisden’s team of the tournament.
Naman Ojha – India Legends (wicketkeeper)
266 runs @ 66.50, SR: 137.11, HS: 108*
Ojha ended the season as the top run-scorer, becoming the only batter to make more than 250 runs in the tournament when he notched an unbeaten 108 in the final. Batting first, India were reduced to 19-2, but Ojha steadied the ship with a 71-ball ton. He also scored 90* in the semi-final and gets a place in the XI because of the two high-quality knocks in pressure matches. He also took three catches and is credited with seven stumpings.
Shane Watson – Australia Legends
239 runs @ 47.80, SR: 169.50, HS: 88
3 wickets @ 34.33, ER: 8.58, BBI: 2-16
Watson scored just one fifty in the tournament but chipped in regularly with quick knocks up the order. He started off with a 23-ball 39 and then struck 35 in 21 balls against Bangladesh Legends. A 50-ball 88 followed before he capped off with 47 (26 balls) and 30 (21). He also picked up three wickets with the ball.
Dwayne Smith – West Indies Legends
212 runs @ 53, SR: 150.35, HS: 73
Smith was one of the three batters to score more than 200 runs in the tournament. No other player from his side could make more than 105 runs, which highlights how he was often the lone player standing. He made three fifties, more than all of his other teammates combined (two).
Tillakaratne Dilshan – Sri Lanka Legends
192 runs @ 32, SR: 141.17, HS: 107
5 wickets @ 18.60, ER: 7.75, BBI: 3-26
Dilshan started off his team’s campaign with a blistering 107 in 56 deliveries, showing glimpses of how lethal he had been at his peak. His best all-round performance was against Bangladesh Legends, where he made 51 in 30 and also grabbed 3-26.
Ben Dunk – Australia Legends
127 runs @ 42.33, SR: 215.25, HS: 46
Dunk had the best strike rate among all batters who made more than 20 runs in the competition. He did not get a fifty but kept chipping away with vital runs in quick time. After an 11-ball 18 in the opener, he got going with a nine-ball unbeaten 21 to help his team chase down 179 with ease. He went over and beyond against England Legends, making 42 in only 13 deliveries, his innings containing four sixes and coming at a strike rate of 323. Dunk made 46 in 26 in the semi-final but could not stop Australia Legends from crashing out.
Stuart Binny – India Legends
110 runs @ 55, SR: 180.32, HS: 82*
2 wickets @ 33, ER: 7.33, BBI: 1-21
Binny was the second highest-run scorer for India Legends, notching 110 runs in four innings. The all-rounder won the Player of the Match award for a blistering 82* in 42 against South Africa Legends in the opener, taking the total above 200 after his side were 129-4 in the 15th over.
Jeevan Mendis – Sri Lanka Legends
100 runs @ 33.33, SR: 169.49, HS: 43*
4 wickets @ 20.50, ER: 7.45, BBI: 2-14
The middle-order bat made at least 20 three times, all of which came at a rapid rate. His highest score in the event, an unbeaten 43 against South Africa Legends, was off 27 deliveries, and he ended with the best strike rate in his team (min. 100 runs scored).
Vinay Kumar – India Legends
5 wickets @ 11, ER: 7.02, BBI: 3-38 ‘
36 runs @ 36, SR: 171.42, HS: 36
Vinay had a bowling strike rate of 9.4, the second-best among all bowlers who picked up at least four scalps in the edition. His batting was the X-factor, even though he batted in just one innings. He was pushed up to No.4 in the final, where he made 36 in 21 deliveries after his side had fallen to 19-2.
Abdur Razzak – Bangladesh Legends
6 wickets @ 15.16, ER: 5.68, BBI: 2-26
Razzak edges past Rahul Sharma, who has similar numbers, because of the left-handed quotient. He picked up at least one wicket in every match and did not concede more than 30 runs in any innings.
Abhimanyu Mithun – India Legends
6 wickets @ 13.83, ER: 6.91, BBI: 2-25
Mithun bowled in three innings and picked up two wickets every time. He opened the bowling and kept things tight, ending with 2-31, 2-25 and 2-27 in his outings.
Nuwan Kulasekara – Sri Lanka Legends
13 wickets @ 10.38, ER: 7.50, BBI: 4-36
Kulasekara was the only bowler who picked up more than seven wickets, grabbing 13 scalps at an average of just over 10. His strike rate of 8.3 was the best among bowlers who got at least four wickets, and he was one of four bowlers to pick up a four-wicket haul. He also grabbed 3-29 in the final.