Guwahati, Aug 7 (IANS) Guwahati Royals secured a five-wicket win with nine balls to spare, overcoming Nagaon Rangers’ total of 151/7 in the second match of the day at the Assam Premier League (APL) 2026 at the ACA Stadium, Guwahati on Thursday.
Skipper Rishav Das led the chase with a fine 60 and was ably supported by Sanjay Kumar Singh’s 31-ball 45. Deepak Gohain and Bastab Roy starred with the ball, scalping three wickets each to restrict Nagaon Rangers to 151/7.
Batting first, Nagaon Rangers endured a difficult start, losing Ruhinandan Pegu in the first over. Deepak Gohain then ran through the middle order, dismissing Jitu Ali, Abhijot Singh Sidhu and Bishal Roy to finish with excellent figures of 3/19, while Bastab Roy also registered figures of 3/29.
He got the prized scalp of Anurag Talukdar in the 7th over, which set their opponents back significantly. Rangers continued to lose wickets at regular intervals, and were soon reeling at 85/6 in the 12th over.
The innings was rescued by a superb late charge from Bhargav Dutta, who smashed an unbeaten 42 off just 32 balls, including two fours and four sixes, in an important stand with Dhruv Raaj Borah, who chipped in with 23. Dutta’s late flourish helped Nagaon Rangers add 51 runs in the final five overs to post a fighting total of 151/7.
In response, Guwahati Royals lost opener Rohit Sen as he was trapped lbw by Rahul Singh in the second over. Sanjay Kumar Singh and skipper Rishav Das then put the chase back on track with a fluent stand, with Das striking the ball cleanly to race to 60 off just 33 balls, studded with eight fours and a six. Meanwhile, Singh made 45 off 31 deliveries as the two tailored a 97-run stand to keep the required run rate in check.
However, the breakthrough triggered a flurry of wickets as Royals lost four wickets in a span of five overs. That briefly slowed the momentum, with Akshay Kumar Deka picking up three wickets in the middle overs to keep the Rangers in the contest.
The middle-order of Royals ensured there were no further hiccups. A composed unbeaten 17 from Gunjan Jyoti Deka, along with Nipan Deka’s unbeaten 11, saw Guwahati Royals coast home comfortably, finishing on 152/5 in 18.3 overs to complete a five-wicket victory.
Brief scores:
Nagaon Rangers 151/7 in 20 overs (Bhargav Dutta 42*, Dhruv Raaj Borah 23, Bishal Roy 21; Deepak Gohain 3/19, Bastab Roy 3/29, Mrinmoy Dutta 1/29).
Guwahati Royals 152/5 in 18.3 overs (Rishav Das 60, Sanjay Kumar Singh 45, Nibir Deka 14; Akshay Kumar Deka 3/37, Rahul Singh 1/21).
Result: Guwahati Royals beat Nagaon Rangers by 5 wickets.
–IANS
bsk/
