IVPL: Cricket fever peaks in Greater Noida as UP and Mumbai brace for finals

Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 3 (ANI): Fans and players are excited as VVIP Uttar Pradesh prepares to face off against Mumbai Champions in the inaugural edition's grand finale of the Indian Veteran Premier League (IVPL) set to unfold at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida on Sunday.
In a thrilling semi-final showdown, VVIP Uttar Pradesh emerged victorious against Chhattisgarh Warriors, while Mumbai Champions secured their spot in the finals with a dominant display against Red Carpet Delhi.
Pawan Negi, who has been the mainstay in the VVIP Uttar Pradesh lineup, said the team is extremely excited about the finals. Negi also lauded the quality of cricket being played in IVPL.
"We are extremely excited about the finals as a team. We're all very happy and we will try our best to win tomorrow. My experience with IVPL has been pretty amazing. The quality of cricket here is good and it's been fun playing," said Pawan Negi as quoted in a release from IVPL.
"This league is giving an opportunity to all the retired players. It's thrilling to play and to watch," he added.
Apart from skipper Suresh Raina, the left-handed batter (Negi) has been in great form and was the Player of the Match in the semi-finals. He was practising for the League prior to the start of the IVPL.
"I have been practising ever since I got to know about the tournament. We also practiced here for a couple of days with the team and we gelled up pretty well. In the first match, I batted a little late. After that I started batting one down and started hitting the ball well. The runs rained down from there onwards," said Negi.
Meanwhile, Phil Mustard, the English cricketer and opener for Mumbai Champions, echoed the sentiment of readiness, aiming to replicate their semi-final performance in the summit clash.
"We came to the ground and we thought we'll be chasing but as it happened we lost the toss and we had to bat. We off to a brilliant start and had to set everything for the rest of the boys to come and do what they do best. I think it's been a bit of a surprise. We obviously do what we did today. We come tomorrow, start and see where it takes us," Phil Mustard said.
The stage is set for a riveting encounter as these two formidable sides lock horns in the finals. With Mumbai Champions securing a convincing victory over VVIP Uttar Pradesh in their previous encounter in the League stage of IVPL, anticipation brews over who will win on Sunday. (ANI)