Shubhamita Bhattacharjee
GUWAHATI, Aug 23: The proverb ‘morning shows the day’ failed to hold true for Guwahati Royals as Barpeta Braves staged a superb comeback to win the inaugural Assam Premier League title by five wickets at the ACA Stadium here on Sunday. Royals made a flying start after being asked to bat first, racing to 83 without loss in just six overs. But they could not sustain the momentum and were eventually bowled out for 165 in 19.4 overs.Barpeta, in reply, kept their composure during the chase and reached the target in 18.5 overs, losing five wickets to seal the title in front of a crowd of nearly 23,000 spectators.
Rohit’s blazing start
Guwahati opener Rohit Sen produced one of the most memorable knocks of the tournament, smashing 90 off just 37 deliveries. He began the innings in stunning fashion, sending the first ball over the boundary before following it up with another beautifully timed four.Rohit and opening partner Sanjay Singh added 83 runs in just 6.1 overs, with Rohit contributing 79 of those runs. His sensational innings contained 10 fours and six sixes.Of the 19 boundaries hit by Guwahati throughout their innings, 16 came from Rohit’s bat. However, once the opener departed, the Royals struggled to maintain the momentum and lost wickets at regular intervals. Captain Rishav Das chipped in with 34 off 34 balls but could not provide the acceleration required towards the end. Guwahati were eventually bowled out for 165 in 19.4 overs. For Barpeta, Subham Kumar Gupta, Dipjyoti Saikia and Pranjal Paul claimed two wickets apiece.
Barpeta complete successful chase
Barpeta got off to a positive start in the run chase as openers Saurav Dihingia and Hrishikesh Das added 38 runs in 3.4 overs.Saurav struck 33 off just 16 balls, hitting six fours and a six, while Hrishikesh contributed a composed 35 off 32 deliveries, with four boundaries.After their departures, Arun Sonar played the key role in guiding Barpeta towards the target. He remained unbeaten on 34 off 20 balls, hitting six boundaries, and received valuable support from Abhilash Maurya, who scored 24 off 20 balls with three fours.Barpeta kept their nerves in the closing stages and completed the chase in 18.5 overs, losing five wickets. Mukhtar Hussain was the pick of the Guwahati bowlers, finishing with figures of 2/48.
Awards
Barpeta Braves were rewarded with a cash prize of Rs 50 lakh for winning the inaugural Assam Premier League, while Guwahati Royals received Rs 25 lakh as runners-up. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia attended the closing ceremony as the chief guest and presented the trophy to the victorious Barpeta Braves.
Individual awards
Purple Cap: Bastab Roy (Guwahati Royals) — 23 wickets
Orange Cap: Rohit Sen (Guwahati Royals) — 543 runs
Catch of the Tournament: Altaf Alam (Nagaon Rangers)
Emerging Player of the Tournament: Rohit Sen (Guwahati Royals)
Player of the Tournament: Bastab Roy (Guwahati Royals)
PHOTO CAPTION: Barpeta Braves celebrating the winning moment with the trophy. Photo: Subhamoy Bhattacharjee.