Arjun Chakraborty
GUWAHATI, Aug 9: For a moment, Sharjah seemed to have come alive again in Guwahati
The year was 1986. The venue was Sharjah and the match was Austral-Asia Cup Final.
Pakistan needed four runs from the final ball against India. Javed Miandad took guard, Chetan Sharma ran in, and what followed became one of the most iconic moments in cricket history—a six over the boundary that gave Pakistan a sensational last-ball victory.
Nearly four decades later, a similar script unfolded at the Assam Premier League in Guwahati on Sunday afternoon.
This time, the equation was even more demanding. Barak Legends needed five runs from the final ball. One delivery separated them from defeat and victory.
The pressure had mounted when Barak Legends lost their seventh wicket off the penultimate delivery of the game. Bhargav Pratim Lahkar walked out to the middle with the entire match resting on his shoulders. There was no room for error. A boundary would not be enough as his team needed a six.
Bhargav took guard, paused for a moment and cast a quick glance around the field. Then he turned his attention to Bikiran Das who was ready to bowl the final delivery.
Bikiran ran in and delivered.
It was not a bad ball. But Bhargav had positioned himself perfectly. He got underneath it and lofted the ball high over long-off. The ball sailed into the distance.
Six!
For a brief moment, there was silence as everyone watched the ball disappear beyond the boundary. Then came the roar.
Barak Legends erupted in celebration as Bhargav's towering six completed a sensational last-ball victory, taking them home with three wickets in hand.
The match was well contested from the beginning. Barak Legends had made an impressive start with the ball, removing three Barpeta Braves batters inside the first five overs. Saurav
Dihingia, Kabir Deshmukh and Kunal Sharma were all dismissed cheaply, while Gaurav Thakuria and skipper Denish Das followed soon after.
At 44/5 in the ninth over, the Braves were in serious trouble.
Maurya, however, provided the resistance his side desperately needed. He anchored the innings with a composed 47 off 44 balls and found an able partner in Bikiran Das, who contributed 29 off 25 deliveries. The pair stitched together a valuable 50-run partnership for the sixth wicket, rebuilding the innings and giving Barpeta a competitive total.
Barak's chase began steadily, with openers Bishal Saha and Aman Singh putting together a useful start. Arun Sonar then struck twice to remove both openers and bring Barpeta back into the contest.
That was when Sibsankar Roy took centre stage. The Barak skipper played a fluent innings of 41 from 31 balls, keeping the chase on course with a combination of controlled strokeplay and aggression. But his departure in the 19th over once again put the pressure firmly on Barak.
Barpeta's bowlers showed good temperament in the match . They kept picking up wickets at crucial moments and refused to let Barak settle. Their captain Denish Das also showed tactical flexibility by relying entirely on spin throughout the innings—a first for a team in the tournament. He also contributed well in the field taking a sensational catch of Saurav Dey near the rope.
With the match entering its final stages, Barak Legends needed eight runs from the last over.
Bikiran Das then produced a sensational final over and appeared to have dragged the Braves within touching distance of victory.
But Bhargav Pratim Lahkar had other plans, producing a dramatic finish with a thunderous strike!
With this victory Barak Legends took the second spot in the points table with 8 points from five matches,
Brief Scores
Barpeta Braves: 129/8 in 20 overs Abhilash Maurya 47, Bikiran Das 29; Bhargav Pratim Lahkar 1/12, Rabi Chetry 1/13, Saurav Dey 1/12.
Barak Legends: 131/7 in 20 overs Sibsankar Roy 41, Aman Singh 22; Arun Sonar 2/15, Bikiran Das 1/17.
PHOTO CAPTION: Bhargab celebrates after sealing a sensational victory with a six off the final ball. .