Abhiraj's Thirteen-Six Hundred Powers Rajarhat Royals to 28-Run Win Over Ball Smashers
Vishal Sharma's unbeaten 119 lit up the chase but could not bridge a 28-run gap — Dilip Kumar's three-fer and Arup's late cameo sealed a dramatic Royals victory
Two centuries. One match. Two different outcomes. Rajarhat Royals and Ball Smashers produced one of the most absorbing contests of the season — a game that had a hundred-run knock on each side, a three-wicket bowling performance of real quality, and a final margin of just 28 runs that did not flatter either team. It was Abhiraj’s jaw-dropping 119 off 40 balls — thirteen sixes from the wicket-keeper’s bat — that ultimately proved the difference, as Rajarhat Royals posted 223 for 8 and then held on through a breathless defence to win. Vishal Sharma gave the Royals a genuine scare with an unbeaten 119 off 47 balls, and Dilip Kumar had earlier given Ball Smashers hope with three top-order scalps. But on the night, the Royals held their nerve.
Abhiraj: Thirteen Sixes, a Century, and a Performance for the Ages
There are innings that win games. And then there are innings that define them. Abhiraj’s 119 off just 40 deliveries belongs firmly in the second category. Coming in at number two after opener Rahul Ghosh had set the foundation with a composed 24, the wicket-keeper took guard and proceeded to dismantle the Ball Smashers bowling attack with a ferocity that left no question about where this match was heading. Thirteen sixes and six fours at a strike rate of 297.50 — Abhiraj was not merely scoring; he was rewriting what the crease permitted. Diwakar Raturi, Sk Juned, Dilip Kumar — every bowler was launched over the ropes with equal disdain.
What made Abhiraj’s innings all the more remarkable was that he batted through chaos around him. Partners came and went — Anubhav Sharma at 82, Amiya Barik at 104, captain Kalyan Mahapatra at 165, Arup Choudhury at 191 — but Abhiraj was immovable at one end, accelerating through each phase. He was finally caught by Sk Juned off Diwakar Raturi at 204 in the 12th over, having batted through more than three-quarters of the innings and scoring over half the team’s total himself. His was the innings that set the target. Everything else was context.
Thirteen sixes. 119 off 40 balls. Abhiraj did not just bat — he set the tone, the total, and the terms of the entire contest. Man of the Match by acclamation.
Arup Choudhury: Quickfire Cameo at the Death
With Abhiraj dominating from position two, the innings needed someone at the death to shift gears even further. Arup Choudhury provided exactly that. Coming in at number six with Rajarhat Royals already in a strong position, Arup needed no warm-up. His 25 off just 9 balls — two sixes, three fours, strike rate of 277.78 — was an innings of pure power hitting that added crucial runs in the final overs. In a match ultimately settled by 28 runs, Arup’s contribution was not decorative. Those runs mattered. He was caught by Jit off Sk Juned at 191, but his blitz had done its job, pushing the Royals past 200 with overs to spare.
Dilip Kumar: Three Wickets That Kept Ball Smashers in the Hunt
For all the Royals’ batting dominance, Dilip Kumar deserves enormous credit for keeping Ball Smashers relevant with a bowling display of genuine quality. His 3 for 34 in 3 overs at an economy of 11.33 was the best figures of the match — no mean feat when the opposition scored 223. Critically, his wickets were targeted: he removed opener Rahul Ghosh (24) through a catch by Polomi, took the key wicket of Amiya Barik (1) before she could do damage, and then returned to dismiss Sourav Ghosh (15) via a catch to Sk Juned in the death overs. Three wickets across the top and lower order — each one arriving at a moment that mattered. Without Dilip Kumar’s three-wicket haul, 223 could easily have been 250.
Three wickets in three overs against a batting line-up at full tilt: Dilip Kumar’s 3/34 was the best bowling performance of the match and one of the reasons Ball Smashers believed they had a chance.
Vishal Sharma: A Lone-Warrior Century That Deserved More
If Abhiraj’s innings was the story of the match, Vishal Sharma’s was the story of what nearly was. Chasing 224, Ball Smashers lost five wickets inside seven overs — collapsing to 31/1, 42/2, 57/3, 59/4, and then a body blow at 87/5. Any other innings would have folded the chase then and there. Vishal refused. Through the early carnage and into the rebuilding phase, he batted the entire 14 overs, unbeaten, and delivered an extraordinary 119 not out off 47 balls — ten sixes, seven fours, strike rate of 253.19. He hit the same bowlers who had been tying down his partners, picked the right balls to attack, and single-handedly kept the required rate manageable when it threatened to become impossible.
By the time Meghnath fell at 147 in the 11th over, Ball Smashers needed 77 off the last three overs with only four wickets left. Vishal found Jit as his partner for the finish, and together they put on a late stand worth 48 runs — Jit adding a punchy 14 off 6 balls. But 195 was as far as they could get. Vishal Sharma’s hundred will long be remembered: a century that came in a losing cause, against the run of play, and never stopped believing.
Vishal Sharma: 119 not out, 47 balls, unbeaten throughout a chase that lost five wickets in the first seven overs. Cricket does not always reward the heroic. Tonight, it did not — but the performance was extraordinary regardless.
The Royals’ Bowling: Defence Under Pressure
Defending 223 against a Vishal Sharma in that form was never going to be comfortable, and the Royals’ bowling unit was tested hard. Anubhav Sharma was the most economical of the regular bowlers — 1/16 in 2 overs at 8.00, removing Meghnath with a stumping by †Abhiraj. Abhinandan(5) produced a sharp spell of just 1 over, 4 runs, 1 wicket (Dilip Kumar stumped) at an economy of 4.00 — the best return of any Royal bowler. Aarush Chakraborty (1/40) and Samrat (1/42) took the vital wickets of Sk Juned and Chandan Kumar respectively to break the early BS batting partnerships. Captain Kalyan Mahapatra’s lone over of 4 runs was a model of control. The dismissals were spread, the pressure was maintained, and Vishal Sharma’s heroics, while remarkable, could not ultimately bridge the 28-run gap that Abhiraj had built.
Rajarhat Royals — Batting (223/8 in 14.0 Ov)
| Batsman | Status | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rahul Ghosh | c Polomi b Dilip Kumar | 24 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 160.00 |
| 🏆 Abhiraj (wk) | c Sk Juned b Diwakar Raturi | 119 | 40 | 6 | 13 | 297.50 |
| Anubhav Sharma | c Jit b Chandan Kumar | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Amiya Barik | c Jit b Dilip Kumar | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| kalyan mahapatra (c) | c Vishal Sharma b Jit | 11 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 137.50 |
| Arup Choudhury | c Jit b Sk Juned | 25 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 277.78 |
| Sourav ghosh | c Sk Juned b Dilip Kumar | 15 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 250.00 |
| Arunava Chakraborty (wk) | b Diwakar Raturi | 12 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 300.00 |
| Aarush Chakraborty (not out) | not out | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Extras (wd 8, nb 6) | 14 | |||||
| Total: 14.0 Ov, 8 Wkts | 223 (CRR 15.93) | |||||
Bowling — Ball Smashers
| Bowler | O | R | W | Eco |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⭐ Dilip Kumar — Best Bowler | 3 | 34 | 3 | 11.33 |
| Diwakar Raturi (c) | 3 | 43 | 2 | 14.33 |
| Sk Juned | 3 | 41 | 1 | 13.67 |
| Chandan Kumar | 2 | 37 | 1 | 18.50 |
| Jit | 1 | 17 | 1 | 17.00 |
| Polomi | 1 | 32 | 0 | 32.00 |
| Vishal Sharma | 1 | 19 | 0 | 19.00 |
Ball Smashers — Batting (195/6 in 14.0 Ov)
| Batsman | Status | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⭐ Vishal Sharma — Best Batter (BS) | not out | 119 | 47 | 7 | 10 | 253.19 |
| Chandan Kumar | c Sourav ghosh b Samrat | 10 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 142.86 |
| Sk Juned | c Amiya Barik b Aarush Chakraborty | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 333.33 |
| Avishek | run out Abhiraj | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 350.00 |
| Dilip Kumar | st †Abhiraj b Abhinandan(5) | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Devnath | run out kalyan mahapatra | 13 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 118.18 |
| Meghnath | st †Abhiraj b Anubhav Sharma | 11 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 137.50 |
| Jit (not out) | not out | 14 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 233.33 |
| Extras (wd 6, nb 3) | 9 | |||||
| Total: 14.0 Ov, 6 Wkts | 195 (CRR 13.93) | |||||
Bowling — Rajarhat Royals
| Bowler | O | R | W | Eco |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anubhav Sharma — Most Economical | 2 | 16 | 1 | 8.00 |
| Abhinandan(5) — Best Return | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4.00 |
| Aarush Chakraborty | 2 | 40 | 1 | 20.00 |
| Samrat | 2 | 42 | 1 | 21.00 |
| Arup Choudhury | 2 | 20 | 0 | 10.00 |
| Sourav ghosh | 2 | 23 | 0 | 11.50 |
| kalyan mahapatra (c) | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4.00 |
| Saurabh Goyal | 1 | 18 | 0 | 18.00 |
| Abhiraj | 1 | 28 | 0 | 28.00 |
Result
Rajarhat Royals won by 28 runs — RR 223/8 (14.0 Ov), Ball Smashers 195/6 (14.0 Ov)
- Man of the Match: Abhiraj — 119 (40b, 13×6, 6×4, SR 297.50)
- Best Bowler: Dilip Kumar (Ball Smashers) — 3/34 (3 Ov, Eco 11.33)
- Best Batter (Ball Smashers): Vishal Sharma — 119* (47b, 10×6, SR 253.19)
- Impact Cameo: Arup Choudhury — 25 (9b, 2×6, SR 277.78)
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