Bengal T20 League: Priyam's ton, Saksham's blazing 98 light up the night; Raju stars in Rarh Tigers' win
Kolkata, June 17
The Bengal T20 League Season 3 at the Eden Gardens on Tuesday witnessed two masterclass batting performances by Novus Royals Purulia's Priyam Sarkar and Murshidabad Kings' Saksham Chaudhary.
Priyam, who scored the fourth century in the league's history, was unlucky to end up on the losing side as Purulia went down to Murshidabad Kings by four wickets in a rain-curtailed encounter.
Batting first, Purulia posted a challenging 196/3 in 18 overs, thanks to Priyam, who smashed 10 fours and 6 sixes in his knock. Yuvraj Deepak Keshwani (56 not out off 27) also played a brilliant innings.
In reply, Abhishek Raman (43) gave Murshidabad Kings the perfect start. After his departure, Saksham played a knock to remember as he single-handedly took his team closer to victory before falling agonisingly short of a well-deserved century by just two runs. En route to his knock, Saksham struck 10 sixes and six fours as Murshidabad chased down the target, scoring 200/6 in 17.4 overs. Ravi Kumar bagged three wickets for Royals Purulia.
In the day's second match, Shrachi Rarh Tigers edged Rashmi NES Medinipur Wizards by 3 runs in yet another thrilling contest in the league.
Batting first, Shrachi Rarh Tigers scored 169/9 in 20 overs, thanks to Rohit Kumar's explosive 30 off just 8 balls and Shuvam Dey Sr's 35 off 21 deliveries. For Medinipur, Sayed Irfan Aftab bagged three wickets.
In reply, Medinipur Wizards fell just short, scoring 166/6 in their 20 overs despite Abhishek Das' unbeaten 40 off 28 balls. For Rarh Tigers, Raju Halder was the pick of the bowlers, bagging 3 for 23.
The result marked yet another nail-biting finish in the Bengal T20 League Season 3. After a one-wicket win for Shrachi Rarh Tigers and a one-run victory for Kolkata Royal Tigers in the previous two matchdays, Tuesday produced another thriller, underlining the fierce competition as the league heads towards its business end.
Brief scores:
Novus Royals Purulia 196/3 (18 overs) lost to Murshidabad Kings 200/6 (17.4 overs) by 4 wickets (VJD/Other Method).
Shrachi Rarh Tigers 169/9 (20 overs) beat Rashmi NES Medinipur Wizards 166/6 (20 overs) by 3 runs.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Saksham missing his century by just 2 runs... heartbreaking! But what a knock it was. 10 sixes and 6 fours! This boy is a talent for the future. By the way, Ravi Kumar bowled well too.
Superb contest! I wish more people would watch our regional leagues at the stadium instead of just waiting for IPL. Talent like Priyam and Saksham needs support. Also, 3 thrillers in 3 matchdays - that's real cricket.
Eden Gardens really came alive tonight! I hope these domestic leagues get more sponsorship and better facilities. Our Bengal boys deserve it. And that last match between Rarh Tigers and Medinipur Wizards was a thriller! Raju Halder took 3 wickets - what a bowler! ⭐
All these matches going to the wire - this is what makes T20 cricket special! But we need to improve the infrastructure for domestic cricket. The VJD method used here is similar to DLS; must be confusing for fans though. Good cricket overall. Exciting start to the season.
New to following Bengal T20 League from overseas, but this sounds like incredible entertainment! Two thrilling games back-to-back. Makes me want to watch the highlights. Priyam's century and Saksham's 98 would be great viewing. Nice to see such depth in Indian cricket beyond the national team.
A We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.