Dubai Royals are set to face Pune Panthers in a crucial World Legends Pro T20 League 2026 clash on January 31 at the 1919 Sportz Arena Cricket Stadium in Goa. The Royals currently occupy fifth place on the points table, having secured just one victory from three outings. With the tournament entering a decisive phase, they will be keen to capitalize on this encounter and add valuable points to their tally. A strong performance could significantly boost their standings and keep their qualification hopes firmly intact.

Shane Watson led Pune Panthers, meanwhile, find themselves struggling at the bottom of the table, hampered by a disappointing net run rate and inconsistent performances. With only two matches remaining in their campaign, the Panthers are under pressure to deliver immediate results. They will be desperate to stage a comeback, regain confidence, and string together back-to-back wins. Anything less could spell the end of their journey in the competition and dash their aspirations of reaching the final.

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WLP T20 League 2026, Match 11, DR vs PP: Live Streaming Details

WLP T20 League 2026, Match 11, DR vs PP: Probable Playing XI

Dubai Royals:

Kirk Edwards, Peter Trego, Manvinder Bisla (WK), Ambati Rayudu, Samit Patel, Parvez Rasool, Piyush Chawla (C), Rishi Dhawan, Chris Mpofu, Fidel Edwards, Amit Verma

Pune Panthers:

Shane Watson (C), Martin Guptill, Robin Uthappa (WK), Upul Tharanga, Samiullah Shinwari, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Asad Pathan, Amit Mishra, Ishwar Pandey, Ankit Rajpoot

Pune Panthers will square off against Rajasthan Lions in Match 9 of the World Legends Pro T20 League 2026 at the 1919 Sportz Cricket Stadium in Goa on Friday, January 30. Led by former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson, the Panthers have had a mixed start to their campaign. They opened with an impressive four-wicket victory over Gurugram Thunders but were brought back to earth with a heavy 59-run defeat against table-toppers Delhi Warriors. Watson and his men will be eager to regain momentum and strengthen their position in the standings.

Rajasthan Lions, captained by former England skipper Eoin Morgan, are currently placed third on the points table, sitting just above Pune Panthers. Like their opponents, the Lions have registered one win and one loss from their opening two matches, but boast a superior net run rate. They began their campaign with a defeat to Maharashtra Tycoons before bouncing back strongly with a convincing win over Dubai Royals. With both sides evenly matched, this encounter promises to be a closely contested battle.

See Also: Watch: Rishabh Pant and his friends give candies to local children ahead of IPL 2026

WLP T20 League 2026, Match 9, PP vs RL: Live Streaming Details

WLP T20 League 2026, Match 9, PP vs RL: Probable Playing XI

Pune Panthers (PP):

Shane Watson (C), Martin Guptill, Robin Uthappa, Upul Tharanga, Shamiullah Shinwari, Dwayne Bravo, Faiz Fazal, Rahul Yadav (WK), Amit Mishra, Ankit Rajpoot, Abhishek Sajuka.

Rajasthan Lions (RL):

Eoin Morgan (C), Naman Ojha (WK), Callum Ferguson, Suresh Raina, JP Duminy, Ben Cutting, Angelo Perera, Abhimanyu Mithun, Jesal Karia, Bipul Sharma, Anureet Singh.

Ahead of the IPL 2026 season, former India cricketer Robin Uthappa urges Rishabh Pant to play as an opener or as a number 3 batter. Uthappa feels that Pant can be more impactful if he comes to bat early in matches.

Rishabh Pant had a tough time in 2025. He played back-to-back matches in the Tests for Team India but was heavily criticised for his batting nature. On multiple occasions, when the team needed him most as a batter, the middle-order batter misfired, mostly for choosing wrong shots.

BCCI announced the T20I squad for the India vs New Zealand series and T20I World Cup 2026 without Rishabh Pant, which put a question mark on the southpaw's T20I career. Pant hasn't made a T20I appearance since July 2024. He can make his international return to ODIs, as he has been included in the squad for the series against the Black Caps, starting from January 11.

Read More: Watch: Sarfaraz Khan smashed 30 runs against Abhishek Sharma

Pant had a dismal IPL 2025 campaign as the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain, scoring 269 runs in 14 matches. LSG picked the keeper-batter for an INR 27 crore fee from the IPL Mega Auction. Throughout the tournament, Pant played as a middle-order batter, only to register one century and one half-century. Uthappa believes that the batter can do better if he chooses to come as a top-order batsman.

Robin Uthappa urged Rishabh Pant to open

"I believe that if he opens or plays at three, we will see the best of him soon. I was very happy when he was playing at three in the 2024 T20 World Cup. He is such a batter who should get more balls in T20 cricket," Uthappa said on a YouTube video.

"He should be given the freedom of the power play. I was so frustrated that he was the captain of LSG and batting at five. If this reaches him, bro, please open it; you will shake Indian T20 cricket. He even scored that hundred at number three last year."

The Vijay Hazare Trophy is regarded as the leading domestic one-day championship in India and offers batters a platform to build a career by demonstrating their ability to consistently perform in 50-over matches. In the competition, a century represents a benchmark for many batters as it demonstrates their ability to dominate quality bowlers in different situations. Many Indian batters have achieved great things by turning good innings into centuries throughout the years, establishing records that will continue to shape the history of batting in this tournament.

The players on the list of the leading century-makers in the history of the Vijay Hazare Trophy span from long-time domestic players to those who later played for the Indian National Team, which reflects the depth of India’s batting talent pool. Many of these players have had a significant impact by performing in high-pressure situations as well as for accumulating hundreds of runs during their careers. This article will examine the leading century-makers in detail, their accomplishments and how their accomplishments are significant to the continued development of Indian domestic cricket.

Ankit Bawne (Maharashtra)

Ankit Bawne, who plays for Maharashtra in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, is currently ranked first in the historical list for most centuries scored in the tournament. Having started participating in the tournament in 2009, he has compiled an incredible total of fifteen century scores, which places him among the more reliable players in the domestic one-day game.

See Also: Shreyas Iyer set to lead Mumbai in the remaining Vijay Hazare League matches amid fitness watch

In ninety-two innings, Bawne has scored 4,164 runs with an excellent batting average of 56.27, and a strike rate of 80.01. In addition to the centuries attributed to him, he has also contributed seventeen scores of fifty or more. Bawne's best showing in the tournament came during the 2022-23 season when he amassed 587 runs from nine innings. In the 2022-23 season, Bawne also boasted an average of 83.85 and a strike rate of 101.55, validating the premise of his consistent performance combined with his measured aggression when batting.

Ruturaj Gaikwad (Maharashtra)

The second-best player on the all-time list of batters who have achieved the most centuries in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in history is Ruturaj Gaikwad, also a representative of the Maharashtra state team. Gaikwad's batting average of 63.60 and strike rate of 104.91 during the tournament have helped him score fourteen centuries in fifty-five innings.

Gaikwad has also accumulated 3,180 career runs and has registered nine scores of fifty or more during his career. Gaikwad had an outstanding season during the 2022-23 Vijay Hazare Trophy season, scoring an incredible 660 runs in just five innings while averaging an astounding 220.00 and striking with a rate of 113.59 and registering four centuries during that season.

Devdutt Padikkal (Karnataka)

Karnataka opener Devdutt Padikkal is currently joint-third on the all-time list for most centuries in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, having struck 13 hundreds so far. Known for his elegant stroke play and consistency, Padikkal has been in exceptional form, amassing 2,525 runs in just 33 innings at a phenomenal average of 93.51 and a strike rate of 94.74.

Padikkal’s standout season arrived in 2020–21, when he piled up 737 runs across seven innings, averaging 147.40 with a strike rate of 95.96, including four centuries. He has continued his rich vein of form in the ongoing 2025–26 Vijay Hazare Trophy, already scoring 514 runs at an average of 102.80 and a strike rate of 102.18, once again featuring four hundreds.

Mayank Agarwal (Karnataka)

The Vijay Hazare Trophy, an annual cricket tournament in India, features Mayank Agarwal who regularly participates in this tournament since 2012 and has amassed 13 centuries which places him third overall in the all-time list of leading run-scorers within this tournament and Agarwal's runs have been scored over 77 innings with an impressive average of 52.65 and a healthy strike rate of 99.40.

The star India opener most successful season to date was 2017–18, when he recorded 723 runs over 8 innings with a remarkable average of 90.37 and an excellent strike rate of 107.91, including an outstanding three centuries.

Robin Uthappa (Kerala, Karnataka, Saurashtra)

Robin Uthappa's 11 centuries throughout his career (2008 to 2021) have placed him fifth on the all-time leading run-scorer list in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Robin played for three teams in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (Karnataka, Kerala, and Saurashtra), providing valuable talent, presence, and stability to each of the teams he played for.

Uthappa's run total is 3,115 runs over 79 innings with an average of 40.45 and with a score of 102.90. Uthappa's best season was in 2013–14 when he scored 536 runs with a batting average of 76.57 and a strike rate of 89.33 with three centuries to his credit.

Jagadeesan and Other Notable Performers

The tremendous consistency of players like N Jagadeesan has added significantly to the century lists in the tournament. Because of Jagadeesan's ability to achieve large hundreds while also maintaining very high strike rates, he has been one of the most successful batters in the past few seasons at the Vijay Hazare tournament.

Some other domestic players have succeeded in making their marks in the tournament and have solidified the notion that the Vijay Hazare tournament is a place for developing excellent batting performances, not just singular achievements.

Why Vijay Hazare Trophy Centuries Matter

Centuries scored in the Vijay Hazare tournament frequently lead to other opportunities, whether it be domestic or national selection as the tournament is being watched closely by the national selection committee based on the similarities of this tournament to ODI cricket at the international level.

The batters that are regularly achieving centuries are demonstrating not just their ability, but also their mental capability to handle the rigors of playing at the highest level and having a good understanding of the game and the ability to adapt their game to the specific circumstances. For those reasons, many of the leading century-makers from the Vijay Hazare tournament have either played for the country or are being considered as national players.

Conclusion

The number of players who have scored 100s in the Vijay Hazare Trophy through the years illustrates how important this tournament has been in providing India with a deep pool of talented batters. The players like Ankit Bawne have been very consistent, while others, such as Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devdutt Padikkal, Mayank Agarwal and so forth, have set the tone for what one-day cricket looks like during their particular period. While the tournament will undoubtedly continue to change into the future with new players emerging, the record that these century scorers created will be a yardstick for the upcoming players for years to come.

Most Hundreds in Vijay Hazare Trophy

Former India international Robin Uthappa suggested some changes in the Test team of India. Uthappa said that Hardik Pandya can play a vital role in that format too, mainly because of his batting. The former cricketer believed that the star all-rounder now has enough fitness to deliver with the ball as well in the longest format of the game.

During a recent conversation, Robin Uthappa paid attention to the capabilities of Hardik Pandya. As a middle-order batter, he has served the team India in the limited-overs format brilliantly. With the swashbuckling batting style, Pandya single-handedly shifted momentum in multiple matches. Recently, he was in terrific form with the bat during the India vs South Africa T20I series. Also in the Asia Cup 2025, where India successfully defended their title, Pandya played a significant role.

Uthappa believes that if Hardik comes to bat at number 7 in Tests, it can work as an x-factor for the team. Because of Pandya's unpredictable batting style, Uthappa suggested the board take a punt on him.

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"If Hardik Pandya returns to the No. 7 spot in Tests, it would be wonderful. The way he’s playing. Anything can happen; it’s cricket. Never say never. If Hardik decides to play Test cricket, will BCCI ask him not to play? If he says he wants to play and wants to win the World Test Championship (WTC), I don’t think they would say no," Robin Uthappa said.

Hardik Pandya set to return in Tests?

"I think they are asking him to prove his fitness. Are all-rounders bowling 20 overs? Nitish Kumar is not bowling that much. He’s bowling 12 overs. If he’s to bowl 12-15 overs per innings, I think he can do it the way he’s fit now, the way he’s bowling and batting. It’s his own decision."

Pandya was active in the Test during the 2017-18 season. During this time span, he scored 532 in 11 matches at an average of 31.29. In those 11 matches, he registered one century and four 50s as well.

BCCI declared the T20 World Cup 2026 squad without Shubman Gill. Gill was the vice-captain and opener in the India vs South Africa T20I series. After his omission from the squad, along with Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson is the other automatic choice for an opening slot. Ishan Kishan is also in the squad who can perform as an opener.

Former India international Robin Uthappa feels that India's opening pair should be stitched between Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. Sharma already cemented his position as an opener in the team. But the matter is different for Samson. In the recent past, during the Asia Cup 2025, the keeper-batter, who is a natural opener, had to perform as a middle-order batter. Uthappa explains why the team management must consider Samson as the opening partner of Sharma.

"Sanju Samson should be a starter in the T20 World Cup eleven, no matter what. And I will tell you why. So Sanju Samson is amongst hundreds of makers post T20 World Cup 2024. In South Africa he got back-to-back hundreds and then Bangladesh. Motivated young stars who also put their hands up – if Sanju can score one hundred, I could score as well. For me, secondly, what wrong did the opening partnership of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma do for them to get broken? It was a working partnership," the former India keeper-batter opined.

Read More: Watch: Hardik Tamore shares how 1-1.5 hours with Rohit Sharma improved his batting in Vijay Hazare Trophy

Uthappa also put a focus on Samson's professional cricket background. Because of his versatile nature as a batsman and experience, Sanju can bring stability to the playing combination along with his brilliance in leading a team. He was the skipper of Rajasthan Royals, so he knows how to react under tough circumstances.

Watch the part of the conversation where Robin Uthappa said about Sanju Samson

Robin Uthappa, in a recent Insta reel, said :- Sanju Samson should open for India in the T20 World Cup 2026 no matter what.
He also added that if either Sanju Samson or Abhishek Sharma fires, India will put up a mammoth total.pic.twitter.com/jyvXgihEOu

— Mr Stranger (@mrstranger005) December 26, 2025

"The third reason is that he brings a lot of balance into the side. We saw him absorb pressure in the Asia Cup 2025 final, along with Tilak Varma, and build an important partnership. But I still think if Sanju Samson bats either 1, 2 or 3, not below that. Other than that, Sanju has been captain of his franchise for about three, four or five years, so he brings experience as well. So he knows when stakes are high. Having him becomes integral. If you want to be able to defend that World Cup title successfully."

India squad for the T20 World Cup 2026: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Rinku Singh.

Another fascinating story about MS Dhoni has emerged. Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa recalled a practice session when Dhoni was facing an energetic, injury-free Munaf Patel. It was the early version of Mahendra Singh Dhoni who loved to clear the ropes using raw muscle strength.

Uthappa mentioned that that was the pacer Munaf Patel, who used to bowl over 150 KMPH during his young age. During the later part of his career, because of multiple injuries, Patel lost his raw pace and could bowl around 130 KMPH. Cricket fans now can barely imagine how fast he used to be. Recalling the memories, Uthappa said that it was a practice session of India-A at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Then, Patel could deliver 155 to 160 case deliveries—an absolutely fiery pace. Uthappa compared Patel's delivery style with that of the legendary Jeff Thompson. Dhoni was against Patel in that practice session. As per Uthappa's claims, Patel was bowling constantly at a pace of 155+, and Dhoni was hitting the ball all round the park. 

Read More: Shubman Gill set to return as captain in Vijay Hazare Trophy: Report

"India-A was having a practice session at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Munaf Patel, before his injury, was bowling at 155–160 kmph with a long run-up, almost a Jeff Thompson–style action, letting the ball rip," Robin Uthappa said. 

"Mahi was batting against him. For one and a half hours, he hit everything out of the stadium—at least 7–8 balls cleared Chinnaswamy completely. And remember, Munaf was bowling 155+, consistently."

Robin Uthappa shares a fascinating story about a young MS Dhoni

The sound between the bat and the ball is still echoing in the ears of Uthappa. He compared the sound with a bullet. 

"The sound when Dhoni hit the ball… it was something you’d never heard before. It felt like a bullet being shot off the bat. "Thakk—and the ball would slice through the air and disappear out of the ground," Uthappa added. 

Between the eyes, India’s fourth T20I of the five-match series against South Africa at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium in Lucknow was abandoned due to the dense fog. The umpires delayed the toss for 20 minutes at the first inspection before continuing to push it for 30-45 minutes and finally calling it off at around 9:30 at night.

Robin Uthappa, who was part of the commentary panel for Star Sports, was baffled at the decision of the authorities by questioning what they were thinking of pushing the game back when it would only get worse by every passing hour into the night. 

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“I’m actually not even listening to you because I’m so befuddled by the umpire’s decision right now. How do they think it’s going to get better as the night wears on? It’s not going to get better; it’s only going to get worse. It’s counterintuitive. What are they actually thinking, and what do they think will happen in half an hour that hasn’t happened over the last hour and a half?” Uthappa raised a question.

Robin Uthappa and Dale Steyn seek clarity for called-off IND vs SA 4th T20I

The former South Africa pacer, Dale Steyn, who was also part of the same commentary side, reckoned that they should have grabbed the umpires and asked for clarity of their decision to keep pushing back the inspections.

“It’s quite confusing that they’ve still decided to give it half an hour more. I’ve played first-class games in far worse conditions, with a lot more fog. This is way better than that. I don’t see it getting better.” Uthappa addressed.

“I was going to say I’d love to get one of the umpires. Sometimes they say there’s another inspection at 8:30, but I don’t know all the rules they’re looking at. As a player, you just play the game. It would be informative to know what they’re assessing and thinking. If they walk past again, we should grab them and ask for clarity.” Steyn added.

The former Indian opening batter, Robin Uthappa, has questioned the strategy of the national side’s T20 batting as they faced their largest defeat in terms of runs during the second clash against South Africa at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.

A few days ago, the head coach of the Blue Brigade, Gautam Gambhir, claimed that the batting orders are overrated. In the second game, during India’s massive chase, they sent Axar Patel at number four, ahead of Tilak Verma. Uthappa has now questioned Gambhir’s plan in T20s.

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“South Africa batted and bowled exceptionally well to bounce back after the first game. With the new ball, they were outstanding on that surface. Lungi Ngidi’s delivery to Shubman Gill was an absolute peach, and the ball to Abhishek Sharma cramped him for room on a testing back‑of‑a‑length. They consistently hit the right areas and kept India under pressure.” Uthappa expressed on his YouTube channel.

Robin Uthappa slams Gautam Gambhir’s T20 strategy

Uthappa also praised the Protea side, who continued to nail the big shots from the start to the end. Quinton de Kock was the main contributor in the department before the last wicket stand of David Miller and Donovan Ferreira blasted them over the 200-run mark.

“With the bat, they made a clear statement by attacking India’s best bowlers, including Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, right from the start. Quinton de Kock was phenomenal, built strong partnerships with Aiden Markram, ran superbly with Dewald Brevis, and kept the tempo high by hitting in his preferred zones. Donovan Ferreira and David Miller then finished things off in style.” The former KKR batter addressed.

“At the international level, batters need clear roles and a clear idea of how they’re going to construct an innings. Flexibility with match-ups after the first six to eight overs is fine, but you still need a solid foundation before you can chase a big score — you can’t build a skyscraper without a base. I don’t agree with being overly flexible so early in the innings beyond the openers.” Robin Uthappa concluded.

The former wicket-keeper batter of India and the Kolkata Knight Riders, Robin Uthappa, has stood firm in support of India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, despite the hosts’ 30-run defeat against South Africa during the opening Test of the two-match series at the Eden Gardens. The home side has now lost four Tests in six attempts under Gambhir’s coaching.

Several former Indian players, including Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, blamed the choice of surface for the Kolkata Test. However, Uthappa reckoned that Gambhir should not be held responsible for the loss.

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“I saw a comment yesterday suggesting that I was defending GG: Yaar, coach thodi jaake khel raha hai andar (The coach is not playing out there). We are examining the results and blaming a coach, but you have to consider the overall scenario. When they criticised Rahul Dravid, it didn't make sense to me. Scoring 20-30 thousand international runs is not easy. So, if he can be trolled, anyone can be trolled.” Uthappa expressed on his YouTube video.

Robin Uthappa supports Gautam Gambhir despite India’s 30-run defeat vs South Africa

Uthappa added that the poor pitches in domestic cricket get reprimanded but not in international affairs. There are several games in the Ranji Trophy where the batters hardly had anything to do, and games end in less than two days.

“We had neutral curators come and control the kind of wickets we were going to prepare. Because if a game got over in two days, the grounds men and association were reprimanded. But here, matches are getting over in two-and-a-half days. However, you say no to those types of wickets in the Ranji Trophy.” Uthappa addressed.

“You are not encouraged to prepare turning tracks. Even if you are going to prepare a progressively turning track, where there would be a lot of turns on Day 3 and Day 4, you can actually develop batters who are equipped to play well against spin. We have been discouraged from doing that in the past 10 years, and you are taking the players to task for not playing spin well.” The former KKR star shed light.