Ayush Pathak's Sensational 65 off 19 with 9 Sixes and Adarsh K Nair's Unbeaten 40 & 4/38 Go in Vain as Rising Stars Chase Down 177 in a Last-Ball Thriller

April 12, 2026

MATCH REPORT — POWERED BY CRIC TALENTS

KOLKATA, INDIA — In a match that produced 353 runs in 25.3 overs and 26 sixes between the two sides, Rising Stars chased down 177 with 3 wickets in hand in 12.3 overs, beating Royal Fighters by 3 wickets in a pulsating encounter. Ayush Pathak's jaw-dropping 65 off just 19 balls (2 fours, 9 sixes, SR 342.11) was the most devastating innings of the chase, while Adarsh K Nair's outstanding all-round display — 40* off 24 with the bat and 4/38 with the ball — ultimately went in a losing cause for Royal Fighters.

First Innings: Royal Fighters — 176/3 (13 overs) | CRR: 13.54

Royal Fighters posted a mammoth total built on aggressive batting from top to bottom. A run rate of 13.54 across 13 overs meant they were scoring nearly 14 runs every over — an extraordinary pace.

Deepak Bhosale — 47 off 21 (6 sixes, SR 223.81)

The opener was devastating from ball one, smashing 6 sixes in a blistering 47 off 21 balls. Remarkably, he didn't hit a single four — every boundary cleared the rope. His opening partnership with Ajay put on 75 for the first wicket in just 5.5 overs, setting the platform for the onslaught that followed. Caught by Rajan Singh off Himanish Singh at 75/1.

Rishav Dubey — 38 off 9 (2 fours, 5 sixes, SR 422.22)

Rishav Dubey played one of the most explosive cameos imaginable — 38 runs off just 9 balls at a strike rate of 422.22. That's nearly 4.5 runs per ball. His 5 sixes were clean, powerful hits that left the Rising Stars bowlers with nowhere to hide. Caught and bowled by Himanish Singh at 120/2 in the 8th over — but those 9 balls changed the complexion of the innings entirely.

Other Batting Contributions

• Ajay (23 off 17, 2 sixes, SR 135.29) — the steadier half of the opening partnership. His 23 came at a measured pace before he retired hurt at 81/1 in the 6th over. Provided the foundation alongside Bhosale
• Vipin Sharma (16 off 10, 1 four, 1 six, SR 160.00) — a useful contribution at number 4 before being caught behind by Ayush Pathak off Krishna at 137/3
• Adarsh K Nair (40* off 24, 4 fours, 2 sixes, SR 166.67) — the unbeaten anchor who guided the innings through the death overs. His 4 fours showed excellent placement, and his 2 sixes added the power. A mature knock that ensured the Fighters crossed 175
• Abhishek (1* off 3) — remained not out alongside Nair

Royal Fighters hit a total of 16 sixes in their 13-over innings. The 11 extras (5 wides, 6 no-balls) from Rising Stars' bowling added to the pain — 6 no-balls is a shocking level of indiscipline.

Rising Stars' Bowling — Under Severe Pressure

• Ayush Pathak: 3-0-32-0 (Eco 10.67) — went wicketless but was the third-most economical. 7 dot balls showed he created some pressure between the carnage
• Krishna: 3-0-36-1 (Eco 12.00) — removed Vipin Sharma. 6 dot balls and the only wicket from the seamers
• Himanish Singh: 3-0-41-2 (Eco 13.67) — took 2 crucial wickets (Deepak Bhosale and Rishav Dubey) but was expensive with 5 sixes conceded
• Avinash Kumar (c): 2-0-29-0 (Eco 14.50) — the captain was targeted for 3 sixes
• Mohit Dubey: 2-0-38-0 (Eco 19.00) — the most expensive, conceding 3 sixes and 4 no-balls. An over to forget

Second Innings: Rising Stars — 177/7 (12.3 overs) | Target: 177 | CRR: 14.16

Chasing 177, Rising Stars went even harder than the Fighters had. With a required rate of over 13 from ball one, there was no room for caution. What followed was an even more extraordinary batting display.

Ayush Pathak — 65 off 19 (2 fours, 9 SIXES, SR 342.11)

Ayush Pathak played THE innings of the match — quite possibly the innings of the tournament. 65 runs off 19 balls with NINE sixes and 2 fours. A strike rate of 342.11. He came in at number 4 with the score at 23/2 and the chase wobbling, and proceeded to launch one of the most brutal counter-attacks imaginable.

Nine sixes in 19 balls means he hit a six nearly every other delivery. He targeted every bowler — no one was spared. His blitz took Rising Stars from 23/2 to 102/4 in a flash, single-handedly turning what looked like a losing chase into a winning one. Caught behind by S Rajasekar off Adarsh K Nair at 102/4 — but by then, the equation was manageable.

Other Key Contributions

• Rajib Paul (21 off 11, 2 sixes, SR 190.91) — aggressive opening, caught by Rishav Dubey off Manoj Pathak at 23/2
• Mohit Dubey (26 off 10, 4 sixes, SR 260.00) — explosive! 4 sixes in 10 balls continued the assault after Pathak fell. Caught and bowled by Adarsh K Nair at 132/5
• Himanish Singh (13 off 13, 1 four, 1 six, SR 100.00) — played a more measured role, providing the stability between the six-hitting. Caught by Rishav Dubey off Adarsh K Nair at 147/6
• Rajan Singh (13 off 4, 2 sixes, SR 325.00) — a devastating late cameo! 2 sixes in 4 balls took the chase to within touching distance. Caught by Adarsh K Nair off Rishav Dubey at 155/7
• Rahul (1 off 2) — fell early, caught by Adarsh K Nair off Jatinder Thakur at 13/1
• Ankur Singh (12 off 12, 1 six, SR 100.00) — played the anchor at number 3, caught by Satendra Singh off Adarsh K Nair at 101/3
• Krishna (8* off 3, 1 six, SR 266.67) — unbeaten, helped finish the job
• Ranjit Kumar (13* off 3, 2 sixes, SR 433.33) — the finishing blow! Came in needing 22 off the last few balls and smashed 2 sixes to take Rising Stars home. An unbeaten 13 off 3 at a strike rate of 433 — ice cold under pressure

Rising Stars hit 10 sixes just in the last 3 overs of the chase, and 20+ sixes total across the chase. The combined match tally of sixes from both innings was staggering.

Adarsh K Nair — The Heartbreak All-Rounder (40* & 4/38)

Adarsh K Nair did everything humanly possible to win this match for Royal Fighters. His unbeaten 40 off 24 was the steadying influence that pushed the Fighters to 176. Then with the ball, he was simply outstanding — 4 wickets for 38 runs in 3 overs with 9 dot balls. He dismissed Ankur Singh, Ayush Pathak (the danger man), Mohit Dubey, and Himanish Singh — the four key batsmen in the chase.

Despite his heroics, the chase was too powerful. This was a performance that deserved to be on the winning side.

Royal Fighters' Bowling

• Adarsh K Nair: 3-0-38-4 (Eco 12.67) — 4 wickets! The standout despite the high economy. 9 dot balls showed he created pressure even while being targeted
• Jatinder Thakur: 2-0-18-1 (Eco 9.00) — the most economical regular bowler. Removed Rahul early with 5 dot balls
• Rishav Dubey: 3-0-35-1 (Eco 11.67) — took the important wicket of Rajan Singh. 7 dot balls in 3 overs
• Manoj Pathak: 2-0-24-1 (Eco 12.00) — dismissed Rajib Paul. 6 dot balls
• Satendra Singh: 2-0-40-0 (Eco 20.00) — the most expensive spell, conceding 6 sixes in 2 overs. Ayush Pathak targeted him mercilessly
• Abhishek: 0.3-0-22-0 (Eco 44.00) — bowled just 3 balls, conceded 3 sixes and 2 no-balls. Taken off immediately

Key Takeaways

• Ayush Pathak's 65 off 19 with 9 sixes (SR 342) was the defining innings — he turned a difficult chase into a procession with one of the most destructive knocks this season
• Rishav Dubey's 38 off 9 (SR 422, 5 sixes) in the first innings was equally devastating — nearly 4.5 runs per ball is video-game territory
• Adarsh K Nair's 40* + 4/38 was the best all-round performance of the match but ended on the losing side — a heartbreaking result for him
• Deepak Bhosale's 47 off 21 (6 sixes, zero fours) set the tone — every boundary was a maximum
• Ranjit Kumar's 13* off 3 (SR 433, 2 sixes) sealed the win — the coolest finish under extreme pressure
• 353 runs in 25.3 overs at a combined run rate of nearly 14 — this was T20 cricket at its most explosive
• 6 no-balls from Rising Stars' bowling and 2 no-balls from Royal Fighters' — discipline with extras was a problem for both sides
• Abhishek's 0.3 overs cost 22 runs (3 sixes, 2 no-balls) — one of the most expensive spells in any format at any level
• Mohit Dubey contributed both ways: 26(10) with 4 sixes batting + 0/38 bowling = wildly different performances in each department