Shubhamita Bhattacharjee
GUWAHATI, Aug 11: Records tumbled one after another as Guwahati Royals pulled off a thrilling three-wicket victory over Charaideo Sunrisers in a high-scoring Assam Premier League encounter at the ACA Stadium here today. The match produced the first century of the competition, the first 200-plus total by a team, the first successful chase of a target above 200, the highest powerplay score, the fastest fifty and the most boundaries in an innings, among several other records, making it one of the most memorable contests of the inaugural edition of the league.
The individual highlight of the day was undoubtedly Charaideo skipper Sumit Ghadigaonkar, who etched his name in the record books by scoring the tournament’s first century. However, his magnificent effort went in vain as the Royals successfully chased down the daunting target of 209, riding on a breathtaking 96 from Rohit Sen.
Opting to field, Guwahati Royals endured a torrid time as Ghadigaonkar. Who today opened the innings, and Pradyun Saikia launched a blistering assault on the bowling attack. The opening pair put together 143 runs off just 82 balls — the highest opening partnership of the season so far — to lay the foundation for a huge total.
Saikia smashed 59 off 39 balls, including eight fours and a six, while Ghadigaonkar was simply unstoppable. The Charaideo captain struck 107 off only 64 deliveries, hitting six fours and seven sixes, to register the highest individual score of the tournament and bring up his century in style.
Amlan Jyoti Das, unbeaten on 30 off 19 balls, provided the late impetus as Charaideo Sunrisers finished on a formidable 208 for two in their 20 overs.
In reply, the Royals began their chase in electrifying fashion, plundering 24 runs from the opening over — the highest-scoring over of the season. They also collected another 23 runs in he third over.
Rohit Sen immediately took centre stage, racing to his half-century off just 15 balls to register the fastest fifty of the tournament. His explosive hitting also helped the Royals reach their team fifty in just three overs, before they went on to post the highest powerplay score of the competition, reaching 101 for two in the first six overs.
The chase, however, lost momentum as wickets began to fall at regular intervals. Nibir Deka made 21, while Rishav Das and Mahmood Habib Ullah contributed 9 and 15 respectively, but failed to convert their starts into substantial scores.
Sen continued to keep the Royals firmly in the hunt, smashing a sensational 96 off just 38 balls, including five fours and 10 sixes. One of his towering sixes sailed all the way to the top tier of the South Stand, underlining the power of his strokeplay. However, his dismissal in the 12th over, with the Royals placed at 148 for four, briefly swung the momentum in Charaideo’s favour.
The Royals soon found themselves in deeper trouble at 180 for seven in the 17th over, but the lower order produced a remarkable rescue act.
Gunjan Jyoti Deka held his nerve with an unbeaten 38 off 24 balls, while Mrinmoy Dutta provided valuable support with an unbeaten 16 off 10 deliveries. The pair kept their composure under pressure to take the Royals across the finish line in 19.3 overs. The innings also witnessed 30 boundaries whih was the most in an innings.
With the dramatic three-wicket victory, Guwahati Royals completed one of the most remarkable successful chases in the competition, while the contest established a string of new records in the inaugural Assam Premier League.
Brief Scores:
Charaideo Sunrisers: 208/2 in 20 overs (Sumit Ghadigaonkar 107, Pradyun Saikia 59, Amlan Jyoti Das 30 no; Bastab Roy 1/32, Deepak Gohain 1/44).
Guwahati Royals: 212/7 in 19.3 overs (Rohit Sen 96, Gunjan Jyoti Deka 38 no, Nibir Deka 21; Dibakar Johori 3/34, Kalam Reja 2/39).

KEY FACTS
# Charaideo captain Sumit Ghadigaonkar (107) scored first century of the competition.
# Ghadigaonkar and Saikia put on a record 143-run opening stand in 82 balls.
# Rohit Sen smashed the fastest fifty of the tournament, reaching the milestone in just 15 balls.,
#Guwahati Royals’ 101/2 in the powerplay sets a new League record.
# First 400-plus-run match in Assam Premier League.
# First successful 200-plus run chase in a match in Assam Premier League.
# Royals smashed 24 runs off the opening over, setting a new record for the highest-scoring first over in the Assam Premier League.
PHOTO CAPTION: Charaideo captain Sumit Ghadigaonkar celebrating his century