Published on Aug 1
GUWAHATI: The inaugural edition of the Assam Premier League got off to an exciting start with two contrasting encounters at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium, Barsapara, on Saturday. Charaideo Sunrisers held their nerve to register a thrilling four-wicket victory over Barpeta Braves in the opening match, while Dibrugarh Warriors produced a dominant all-round performance to crush Tezpur Titans by 79 runs in the second game of the day.
Pradyun powers Charaideo to win
The tournament opener turned out to be a gripping contest as Charaideo Sunrisers chased down a challenging target of 157 with four wickets in hand.
After electing to bat, Barpeta Braves recovered from a difficult start to post a competitive 156/5 in their allotted 20 overs. At one stage, they were struggling at 106/5 in 15.2 overs, having lost captain Denish Das—the league's highest-paid player—for a duck.
Abhilash Maurya anchored the innings with a well-crafted 43 off 31 deliveries, striking two fours and two sixes, while Arun Sonar provided the late flourish with an unbeaten 37 from just 19 balls, an innings that included two boundaries and three sixes. Himanshu Saraswat was the most successful Charaideo bowler, claiming 2/25 from his four overs.
In reply, Charaideo's chase got off to a shaky start as wickets fell at regular intervals. The Sunrisers were under severe pressure at 76/5 after 14 overs, needing 81 runs from the final six overs.
Left-handed opener Pradyun Saikia, however, stood firm and produced a magnificent match-winning knock. He became the first batter in the league to score a half-century, reaching the milestone in just 42 balls before remaining unbeaten on 68 off 46 deliveries, laced with five fours and three sixes.
Pradyun first found valuable support from Amlan Jyoti Das, who scored a brisk 34 off 22 balls in a crucial 39-run partnership that revived the chase. After Amlan's dismissal, Mayukh Hazarika smashed an unbeaten 17 off only eight deliveries, including two towering sixes, as he joined Pradyun in an unbroken 58-run stand that guided Charaideo to victory with 10 balls to spare.
Pradyun was deservedly named the Player of the Match for his outstanding unbeaten innings.
Dibrugarh Warriors outclass Tezpur Titans by 79 runs
The second match witnessed a one-sided affair as Dibrugarh Warriors announced themselves in style with a commanding 79-run victory over Tezpur Titans.
Asked to bat first, Dibrugarh posted an imposing 187/7 in 20 overs, built around a classy half-century from Parvez Musaraf.
Parvez anchored the innings with a superb 60 off 47 balls, striking six fours and a six. He was initially overshadowed by opening partner Ronit Akhtar, who gave the innings early momentum with a quickfire 24 off 13 balls, including four boundaries and a six.
After the early breakthrough, Parvez took control of the innings and stitched together a vital 78-run third-wicket partnership with Ayush Agarwal, who contributed a fluent 31. The finishing touches were provided by Jitumoni Kalita and Siddhartha Baruah, both of whom scored identical cameos of 16 from nine and seven balls respectively, helping the Warriors finish with a formidable total. Ayushman Malakar was the pick of the Tezpur bowlers with figures of 3/38.
Tezpur Titans never recovered from a disastrous start to their chase. Reduced to 62/6 in 10.3 overs, they failed to build any meaningful partnerships and were eventually bowled out for 108 in 17.5 overs.
Nihar Deka waged a lone battle for Tezpur, top-scoring with 49 off 34 deliveries, an innings featuring five boundaries. However, he received little support from the other end.
Rituraj Biswas led Dibrugarh's disciplined bowling attack with an impressive spell of 3/14 and was adjudged Player of the Match. His spell, backed by excellent support from the rest of the bowling unit, ensured Dibrugarh completed a comprehensive victory to begin their campaign on a winning note.
Photo Caption: Pradyun Saikia raises his bat after scoring half century. Photo courtesy: APL Media Team.