Danish Iqbal Stokesy's All-Round Masterclass Powers Elite 11_Challengers cup to a 31-Run Win Over Underdogs in the Silver Semifinal
In the Challenger's Cup 2026 Silver Semifinal, Man of the Match Danish Iqbal Stokesy blasts an unbeaten 43 off 13 balls and then claims 3/15 with the ball, as Elite 11_Challengers cup defend 118/7 to beat Underdogs by 31 runs
Elite 11_Challengers cup produced a complete all-round performance to beat Underdogs by 31 runs in the Silver Semifinal of the Challenger's Cup 2026. After being pushed to 118/7 in their 10 overs by a disciplined Underdogs bowling attack, Elite 11 hit back to bowl their opponents out for just 87 in 9.1 overs — and one player was at the heart of both innings.
Man of the Match: Danish Iqbal Stokesy
Danish Iqbal Stokesy produced a stunning all-round display. Coming in with his side under pressure, he blasted an unbeaten 43 off just 13 balls (two fours, five sixes, SR 330.77) to drag the total from a modest position to a competitive 118/7. He then backed it up with the ball, taking 3/15 in his 2 overs (economy 7.50) to rip through the Underdogs innings. It was a match-defining performance in both departments, making him a clear and deserving Man of the Match.
Key Contributions from Teammates
Before Danish Iqbal Stokesy's late surge, Rajib Kumar played a rapid cameo of 26 off just 9 balls (four sixes, SR 288.89) to keep the innings ticking through the middle overs. With the ball, Dheeraj Singh was the other standout performer, taking 3/31 to remove Underdogs' top order, while Prithwish Singha Roy, Pankaj Jaiswal, and captain Gopal Rajbanshi all chipped in with a wicket apiece as Underdogs' innings unravelled.
Underdogs' Notable Performances
Underdogs never quite recovered from an early collapse, but there were flashes of resistance. Puspajit Biswas got things moving with a quick 16 off 6 (two sixes, SR 266.67), Dheeraj Singh struck 15 off 8 (two sixes), and SONU MONDAL added a late 15 off 6 (two sixes) down the order. RAJU ROY also chipped in with 13. With the ball, Manjeet was economical for Elite 11 in the earlier innings, taking 2/11 in 2 overs, but ultimately Underdogs' batting could not match the damage Danish Iqbal Stokesy had already done at both ends of the match.
Looking Ahead
A statement all-round performance for Elite 11_Challengers cup, driven almost single-handedly by their Man of the Match in the closing overs of the first innings and the opening burst of the second. Underdogs will look to tighten up their middle order as they regroup for their next fixture.
Elite 11_Challengers cup — Batting (118/7 in 10.0 Ov)
| Batsman | Status | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zeeshan Khan | c New Town Sunny b SONU MONDAL | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Zahid khan | c ANKUSH RAJ b Dheeraj Singh | 13 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 118.18 |
| Ankit Ojha | c New Town Sunny b Dheeraj Singh | 9 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 225.00 |
| Surajit Mondal | c Prithwish Singha Roy b Dheeraj Singh | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 133.33 |
| KARAN SINGH | c Raj Sarkar b Prithwish Singha Roy | 11 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 122.22 |
| Rajib Kumar | c New Town Sunny b Gopal Rajbanshi | 26 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 288.89 |
| Piyush | c Gopal Rajbanshi b Pankaj Jaiswal | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 75.00 |
| Danish Iqbal Stokesy (not out) | not out | 43 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 330.77 |
| Manjeet (not out) | not out | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Extras (wd 4) | 4 | |||||
| Total: 10.0 Ov, 7 Wkts | 118 (CRR 11.80) | |||||
To bat: Anindra Nath Ray (c), Sanjay, Rakesh Roy
Fall of Wickets — Elite 11_Challengers cup
4-1 (Zeeshan Khan, 0.5 ov), 13-2 (Ankit Ojha, 1.3 ov), 17-3 (Surajit Mondal, 2 ov), 41-4 (KARAN SINGH, 4.5 ov), 41-5 (Zahid khan, 5.1 ov), 70-6 (Piyush, 7 ov), 70-7 (Rajib Kumar, 7.1 ov)
Bowling — Underdogs
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | WD | Eco |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SONU MONDAL | 2 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 11.00 |
| Dheeraj Singh | 2 | 0 | 31 | 3 | 0 | 15.50 |
| Prithwish Singha Roy | 2 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 10.50 |
| Pankaj Jaiswal | 2 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 6.50 |
| Gopal Rajbanshi (c) | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 7.00 |
| ANKUSH RAJ | 1 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 24.00 |
Underdogs — Batting (87 all out in 9.1 Ov)
| Batsman | Status | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Town Sunny | c Sanjay b Danish Iqbal Stokesy | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Puspajit Biswas | c †KARAN SINGH b Zeeshan Khan | 16 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 266.67 |
| Dheeraj Singh | st †KARAN SINGH b Rakesh Roy | 15 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 187.50 |
| RAJU ROY | c KARAN SINGH b Rakesh Roy | 13 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 92.86 |
| Gopal Rajbanshi (c) | c Ankit Ojha b Danish Iqbal Stokesy | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Prithwish Singha Roy | c KARAN SINGH b Danish Iqbal Stokesy | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 300.00 |
| Raj Sarkar | c KARAN SINGH b Sanjay | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Pankaj Jaiswal | c KARAN SINGH b Manjeet | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
| ANKUSH RAJ (not out) | not out | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| SONU MONDAL | b Manjeet | 15 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 250.00 |
| Purnajitt Debnaath | c Ankit Ojha b Zeeshan Khan | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16.67 |
| Extras (wd 9, nb 2, lb 1) | 12 | |||||
| Total: 9.1 Ov, 10 Wkts | 87 (CRR 9.49) | |||||
Fall of Wickets — Underdogs
4-1 (New Town Sunny, 0.3 ov), 21-2 (Puspajit Biswas, 1.3 ov), 38-3 (Dheeraj Singh, 3.4 ov), 39-4 (Gopal Rajbanshi, 4.1 ov), 45-5 (Prithwish Singha Roy, 4.3 ov), 49-6 (Raj Sarkar, 5.2 ov), 65-7 (Pankaj Jaiswal, 6.4 ov), 67-8 (RAJU ROY, 7.1 ov), 85-9 (SONU MONDAL, 8.1 ov), 87-10 (Purnajitt Debnaath, 9.1 ov)
Bowling — Elite 11_Challengers cup
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | WD | NB | Eco |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danish Iqbal Stokesy | 2 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 7.50 |
| Zeeshan Khan | 1.1 | 0 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 19.71 |
| Sanjay | 2 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8.50 |
| Rakesh Roy | 2 | 0 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10.00 |
| Manjeet | 2 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5.50 |
Result
Challenger's Cup 2026 — Silver Semifinal
Elite 11_Challengers cup won by 31 runs — Elite 11_Challengers cup 118/7 (10.0 Ov), Underdogs 87 all out (9.1 Ov)
- Man of the Match: Danish Iqbal Stokesy — 43* (13b, 2×4, 5×6, SR 330.77) & 3/15 (2 Ov, Eco 7.50) 🏆
- Also Impressive: Rajib Kumar — 26 (9b, 4×6, SR 288.89)
- Best Bowling (Elite 11): Dheeraj Singh — 3/31 (2 Ov, Eco 15.50)
- Underdogs Top Scorer: Puspajit Biswas — 16 (6b, 2×6, SR 266.67)
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