Ashutosh's Flying Start and Tanmay's Middle-Order Fight Cut Short as Thunder Strikers Win on DLS After Rajib Paul's Injury Stops Play
Debendra Kumar Sahoo's brutal 74 off 25 (8 sixes) sets up Thunder Strikers' 184/6, Suraj Prahladka bowls a tidy 2/25 and Faisal Khan strikes four times, while Ashutosh Maurya's 40 off 15 and Tanmay Karmakar's unbeaten 36 have CC well placed at 121/7 before the match is called off following an on-field injury to Rajib Paul, with Thunder Strikers awarded the win by the DLS method
A closely fought contest between Calcutta Challengers and Thunder Strikers ended without a final ball being bowled, after Rajib Paul suffered an on-field injury while batting for CC and the match was called off. Thunder Strikers were awarded the win by the DLS method, with CC on 121/7 in 9.2 overs chasing Thunder Strikers’ 184/6. Everyone at Aaj Ka Khel wishes Rajib Paul a swift and full recovery. Up to the point of the stoppage, it had been an even, entertaining game — Debendra Kumar Sahoo’s explosive 74 built Thunder Strikers’ total, Suraj Prahladka bowled with real control for CC, and Ashutosh Maurya and Tanmay Karmakar had CC firmly in the chase with their bat.
Debendra Kumar Sahoo's 74 Headlines a Strong Thunder Strikers Total
Thunder Strikers lost early wickets regularly against a disciplined CC attack — Dibyagyana Behera (24), Yogi Thakur (14) and Praveen (19) were all back inside six overs, leaving the innings needing rebuilding at 61/3. Debendra Kumar Sahoo answered emphatically. His 74 off just 25 balls, with five fours and eight sixes at a strike rate of 296.00, was the standout innings of the match and the reason Thunder Strikers reached a daunting total. Qamar Khan Cricket (18* off 7) and Saikat Pobi (6* off 2) added useful late runs, and Thunder Strikers closed on 184/6 — a total built almost entirely around one destructive innings.
Five fours, eight sixes, a strike rate of 296 — Debendra Kumar Sahoo's 74 off 25 balls was the innings that decided the shape of this match.
Suraj Prahladka Bowls a Tidy, Disciplined Spell
Amid an innings that cost CC’s other bowlers dearly, Suraj Prahladka stood out for his control. His 2/25 in 3 overs (economy 8.33) was comfortably the most economical spell of the innings, and he picked up the key wickets of Faisal Khan and Abdul Rahman to keep Thunder Strikers honest even as Debendra Kumar Sahoo was taking the total away. Tanmay Karmakar also chipped in with 2/43, including the important wicket of Sahoo himself in the 12th over, while Ashutosh Maurya struck with the very first ball of his one over.
Ashutosh Maurya and Tanmay Karmakar Keep CC in the Hunt
Chasing 185, Ashutosh Maurya gave CC exactly the start a chase of this size demands. His 40 off just 15 balls, with six sixes and a strike rate of 266.67, put CC ahead of the game early before he fell to Saikat Pobi. Golok Bera (17) and Biswajeet Dey (10 off just 3 balls) kept the tempo going, but three quick wickets — Biswajeet Dey, Golok Bera and Mohit Dubey — left CC needing a steadying hand at 78/5.
Tanmay Karmakar provided exactly that. Unbeaten on 36 off 13 balls, with one four and four sixes at a strike rate of 276.92, he anchored the middle order and kept CC firmly in touch with the required rate, adding 23 with Akash Ranjan and Suraj Prahladka before the innings was halted. At 121/7 after 9.2 overs, with Tanmay well set and Rajib Paul unbeaten on 11 alongside him, CC were still in the fight when play stopped.
Ashutosh Maurya lit the fuse with a 15-ball 40, and Tanmay Karmakar kept the chase alive through the middle overs with an unbeaten 36 — between them, CC never let this game get away before the stoppage.
Faisal Khan the Pick of the Thunder Strikers Bowlers
Faisal Khan was the most successful bowler on either side, finishing with 4/26 in 3 overs (economy 8.67) — the wickets of Golok Bera, Mohit Dubey, Akash Ranjan and Suraj Prahladka all falling to him inside a tight, well-bowled spell that halted CC’s momentum through the middle overs. Saikat Pobi (2/35) also chipped in with the early wicket of Ashutosh Maurya, but it was Faisal Khan’s consistency that kept Thunder Strikers ahead of the game right up until the match was stopped.
Match Ends in Injury, Thunder Strikers Win on DLS
With CC well-placed at 121/7 in 9.2 overs and the required rate still very much within range, the match was brought to a premature halt when Rajib Paul was injured on the field. Play could not resume, and the result was decided on the DLS method, with the calculation going in favour of Thunder Strikers based on the state of the match at the point of stoppage. A tightly poised contest was left unresolved on the field — the correct outcome, given the circumstances, was to prioritise the player’s wellbeing above the game itself.
Thunder Strikers — Batting (184/6 in 13.0 Ov)
| Batsman | Status | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Praveen | c Golok Bera b Ashutosh Maurya | 19 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 146.15 |
| Dibyagyana Behera | c Ashutosh Maurya b Tanmay Karmakar | 24 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 200.00 |
| Yogi Thakur | c Paul Zomi b Mohit Dubey | 14 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 233.33 |
| Faisal Khan | c †Tanmay Karmakar b Suraj Prahladka | 11 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 91.67 |
| 🏆 Debendra kumar sahoo | b Tanmay Karmakar | 74 | 25 | 5 | 8 | 296.00 |
| Abdul Rahman (c) | c Akash Ranjan b Suraj Prahladka | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Qamar Khan Cricket (not out) | not out | 18* | 7 | 2 | 1 | 257.14 |
| Saikat Pobi (not out) | not out | 6* | 2 | 0 | 1 | 300.00 |
| Extras (wd 12, nb 1, b 5) | 18 | |||||
| Total: 13.0 Ov, 6 Wkts | 184 (CRR 14.15) | |||||
Did not bat: Alok Kumar, Praveen Tripathi (wk), Aman Raj, Ehsan Ali, Raju Kumar, Shan Ansari, Rajni Kant
Fall of Wickets — Thunder Strikers
36-1 (Dibyagyana Behera, 3.3 ov), 59-2 (Yogi Thakur, 5 ov), 61-3 (Praveen, 5.1 ov), 109-4 (Faisal Khan, 8.4 ov), 109-5 (Abdul Rahman, 9 ov), 166-6 (Debendra kumar sahoo, 12.2 ov)
Bowling — Calcutta Challengers
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | WD | NB | Eco |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⭐ Suraj Prahladka | 3 | 0 | 25 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 8.33 |
| Tanmay Karmakar | 3 | 0 | 43 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 14.33 |
| Mohit Dubey | 3 | 0 | 52 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17.33 |
| Ashutosh Maurya (c) | 1 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 14.00 |
| Biswajeet Dey | 1 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20.00 |
| Golok Bera | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12.50 |
Calcutta Challengers — Batting (121/7 in 9.2 Ov, match stopped)
| Batsman | Status | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashutosh Maurya (c) | c †Praveen Tripathi b Saikat Pobi | 40 | 15 | 0 | 6 | 266.67 |
| Ridhwan | run out Yogi Thakur / Praveen | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Golok Bera | c&b Faisal Khan | 17 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 154.55 |
| Biswajeet Dey | c Dibyagyana Behera b Saikat Pobi | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 333.33 |
| Tanmay Karmakar (not out) | not out | 36* | 13 | 1 | 4 | 276.92 |
| Mohit Dubey | hit wkt b Faisal Khan | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Akash Ranjan | c Dibyagyana Behera b Faisal Khan | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Suraj Prahladka | c Debendra kumar sahoo b Faisal Khan | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Rajib Paul (not out) | not out — retired (injury) | 11* | 7 | 2 | 0 | 157.14 |
| Extras (wd 5) | 5 | |||||
| Total: 9.2 Ov, 7 Wkts (match stopped) | 121 (CRR 12.96) | |||||
Did not bat: Debangshu, Paul Zomi, Samrat, Moinur, Satvik Tiwari, Raju
Fall of Wickets — Calcutta Challengers
22-1 (Ridhwan, 1.1 ov), 55-2 (Ashutosh Maurya, 4.2 ov), 66-3 (Biswajeet Dey, 4.5 ov), 78-4 (Golok Bera, 5.2 ov), 78-5 (Mohit Dubey, 5.4 ov), 101-6 (Akash Ranjan, 7.1 ov), 101-7 (Suraj Prahladka, 7.2 ov)
Bowling — Thunder Strikers
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | WD | NB | Eco |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ehsan Ali | 1 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22.00 |
| Yogi Thakur | 2 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8.50 |
| Saikat Pobi | 2 | 0 | 35 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 17.50 |
| ⭐ Faisal Khan | 3 | 0 | 26 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8.67 |
| Abdul Rahman (c) | 1.2 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15.75 |
Result
Thunder Strikers won by the DLS method after the match was stopped following an on-field injury to Rajib Paul — Thunder Strikers 184/6 (13.0 Ov), Calcutta Challengers 121/7 (9.2 Ov)
- Player of the Match: Debendra Kumar Sahoo — 74 (25b, 5×4, 8×6, SR 296.00) 🏆
- CC Flying Start: Ashutosh Maurya (c) — 40 (15b, 6×6, SR 266.67)
- CC Middle-Order Fight: Tanmay Karmakar — 36* (13b, 1×4, 4×6, SR 276.92)
- CC Best Bowler: Suraj Prahladka — 2/25 (3 Ov, Eco 8.33)
- Thunder Strikers Best Bowler: Faisal Khan — 4/26 (3 Ov, Eco 8.67) ⭐
Match Report powered by Aaj Ka Khel — The Home of Kolkata Cricket. Wishing Rajib Paul a speedy recovery.