Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif on Saturday took the fans back in time as he pulled off a one-handed stunner in the Legends League Cricket (LLC) 2023 eliminator against Asia Lions in Doha. The tournament of retired cricketers offers a trip down memory lane when some of the former superstars showcase what they were known for and leave the fans slack-jawed.

The same was the feeling of those who saw 42-year-old Mohammad Kaif taking an acrobatic catch to dismiss Upul Tharanga who already had scored a half-century. During the 9^th over of the Asia Lions’ innings, Pragyan Ojha bowled a short delivery and Tharanga rocked back to smash it through covers. The ball could have easily raced towards the boundary for four runs had it not found the safe hands of Kaif.

The former India cricketer, who is widely famous for his fielding antics, dived full length and plucked a one-handed gem out of thin air. The crowd lost their cool over what they saw while the entire India Maharaja unit rushed towards Kaif to congratulate him on his spectacular act.

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Surprisingly, the catch taken by Kaif was the only positive about India Maharaja’s performance in the must-win game against Asia Lions. After opting to bat, Aisa Lions piled up a mammoth 191 for 5 after Tharanga’s 31-ball fifty and some notable contributions by Mohammad Hafeez (38) and Asghar Afghan (34).

In reply, Maharajas were off to a decent start as the opening duo of Robin Uthappa and skipper Gautam Gambhir added 47 runs for the first wicket. But once the partnership was breached by a run-out, which saw Uthappa walking back, India Maharajas’ batting line fell apart.

Gambhir top-scored with a 17-ball 32 while no other batter could even score more than 18 runs. The middle-order crumbled against the Asia Lions’ bowling attack as seven out of 11 batters scored in single digits.

The Indian contingent had an underwhelming season, winning only 1 match in the entire tournament. The 85-run defeat on Saturday knocked them out of the LLC 2023. The final will be played on Sunday between World Giants and Aisa Lions in Doha.

Brief scores: Asia Lions bt India Maharajas by 85 runs.

Asia Lions 191 for 5 in 20 overs (Upul Tharanga 50, Tillakaratne Dilshan 27, Mohammad Hafeez 38, Asghar Afghan 34 n.o, Thisara Perera 24, Stuart Binny 2 for 38, Pragyan Ojha 2 for 26)

India Maharajas 106 in 16.4 overs (Gautam Gambhir 32, Sohail Tanvir 2 for 25, Abdur Razzak 2 for 27, Mohammad Hafeez 2 for 21)

Player of the Match: Upul Tharanga

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