Md Shafiq's Match-Winning 3/33 and Lakshman's Heroic 42* Go in Vain as M7 Sports Chase Down 110 With 6 Wickets in Hand

April 4, 2026

MATCH REPORT — POWERED BY CRIC TALENTS

KOLKATA, INDIA — Man of the Match Md Shafiq delivered a devastating bowling performance with 3 wickets for 33 runs to dismantle New Town Buddies' middle order, before M7 Sports chased down the target of 110 with 6 wickets in hand and 1.1 overs to spare. Despite a valiant unbeaten 42 off 24 from Lakshman that pushed the Buddies to 109, M7 Sports' batting lineup — led by the composed Rahul Kumar (32* off 28) and the explosive Aditya Kumar Hela (20 off 9, 3 sixes) — made the chase look comfortable in the end.

New Town Buddies Innings — 109/8 (13 overs)

New Town Buddies' innings was a tale of two halves — a disastrous start followed by a remarkable lower-order rescue. The top order was dismantled comprehensively, with M7 Sports' bowlers refusing to give an inch.

Romit Dutta (1 off 5) was dismissed early, caught behind off Md Shafiq. RD (6 off 8) followed soon after — another catch behind the stumps, this time off Munazir. When Vamsi fell for a golden duck in the very next over — caught by Aditya Kumar Hela off Md Shafiq — New Town Buddies were reeling at 1/2, then quickly 20/3.

Captain Dhruba Shyam tried to counter-attack with a blistering 31 off 15 balls (2 fours, 3 sixes, SR 206.67), but his dismissal — bowled by Munazir — left the Buddies at 49/4. The situation worsened rapidly: Uday (2), Md Shahbaz Alam (1), and Cheboli Saikiran (8) all fell cheaply, and at 69/7, a sub-80 total looked inevitable.

Lakshman — The Lone Warrior (42* off 24)

Enter Lakshman, batting at number 8, who produced one of the finest lower-order innings of the season. His unbeaten 42 off just 24 balls — laced with 3 fours and 4 sixes at a strike rate of 175.00 — was a masterclass in controlled aggression from a position of crisis.

With Dhana Virat (9 off 8, 1 four) providing support, Lakshman added 40 precious runs for the 8th wicket before Virat was run out off the final ball. Lakshman single-handedly dragged the score from 69/7 to 109/8 — an addition of 40 runs largely from his blade. Without his heroics, New Town Buddies would have struggled to reach 80.

Man of the Match: Md Shafiq — 3/33 (3 overs)

Md Shafiq was the star of the bowling attack. His 3 wickets for 33 runs in 3 overs broke the backbone of the New Town Buddies batting. His key dismissals — Romit Dutta (caught behind), Vamsi (golden duck, caught), and Cheboli Saikiran (caught by Zahid Khan) — came at critical moments that kept the Buddies under constant pressure.

While his economy of 11.00 reflected the aggressive intent of the batsmen, it was the quality of his wickets that made the difference. He removed the openers and a middle-order batsman, never allowing partnerships to develop.

The supporting cast was equally impressive. Aditya Kumar Hela was outstanding with 1/6 from 2 overs — an economy of just 3.00 with 11 dot balls, the most restrictive spell in the match. Munazir (2/19) and Vivek Singh (1/16) also chipped in effectively.

M7 Sports Chase — 111/4 (11.5 overs)

Chasing 110, M7 Sports lost Harsh Gupta (3 off 7) early — caught by Dhruba Shyam off Dhana Virat. But Zahid Khan (27 off 15, 1 four, 3 sixes, SR 180.00) immediately went on the offensive, blazing boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking rapidly.

When Zahid fell at 40/2 — caught by Lakshman off RD — Rahul Kumar took charge. His unbeaten 32 off 28 balls (1 four, 3 sixes, SR 114.29) was the anchor innings M7 Sports needed. He rotated strike intelligently and found the boundary when the loose ball came, never letting the required rate get out of hand.

Rahul Shaw (5 off 11) played a supporting role before falling at 57/3, but it was Aditya Kumar Hela who provided the fireworks.

Aditya Kumar Hela — All-Round Excellence

Already the most economical bowler (1/6, Eco 3.00) in the first innings, Hela produced an explosive cameo with the bat — 20 off just 9 balls with 3 massive sixes at a strike rate of 222.22. His assault effectively ended the contest, as M7 Sports raced from 57/3 to 100/4 in a flash.

When Hela fell at 100/4 — caught by Hemanth Dokala off Dhana Virat — the match was all but done. Munazir (10* off 2, 1 four, 1 six, SR 500.00) hammered the winning runs with an extraordinary 2-ball cameo to seal victory.

New Town Buddies Bowling — Valiant but Outgunned

• RD: 3 overs, 14 runs, 1 wicket — the most economical (Eco 4.67) with 11 dot balls
• Dhruba Shyam (c): 2 overs, 13 runs, 0 wickets — tidy from the skipper
• Uday: 3 overs, 25 runs, 1 wicket, Eco 8.33
• Dhana Virat: 2.5 overs, 38 runs, 2 wickets — expensive but took key scalps
• Cheboli Saikiran: 1 over, 18 runs, 0 wickets — taken apart by Hela and Munazir

Key Takeaways

• Md Shafiq's 3/33 was the match-winning spell — his early breakthroughs ensured New Town Buddies never built momentum
• Lakshman's unbeaten 42 off 24 from number 8 was heroic and deserved to be on the winning side
• New Town Buddies' top-order failure (20/3 in the powerplay) was the root cause of their defeat
• Dhruba Shyam's 31 off 15 was a captain's knock but lacked support from the other end
• Aditya Kumar Hela's all-round display — 1/6 (Eco 3.00) + 20 off 9 (3 sixes) — was quietly the most complete performance
• M7 Sports' batting depth was the difference — even after losing 4 wickets, Munazir finished the job in 2 balls
• 14 extras (10 wides, 1 no-ball, 3 leg byes) from New Town Buddies' bowling gave away free runs in the chase