Guwahati. Barpeta Braves won the first Imperial Blue Packaged Drinking Water Assam Premier League (APL) title by defeating Guwahati Royals by five wickets in the final played at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium, Guwahati on Sunday night.
Chasing the target of 166 runs, Barpeta Braves won by scoring 166 runs for five wickets in 18.5 overs. Arun Sonar played a decisive inning of 34 not out off 20 balls. Saurav Mausum Dihingia scored 33 runs on 16 balls and Hrishikesh Das scored 35 runs on 32 balls. Abhilash Maurya also contributed 24 runs in 20 balls.
Earlier, Guwahati Royals scored 165 runs in 19.4 overs. Rohit Sen batted stormily and scored 90 runs in just 37 balls, which included 10 fours and six sixes. Captain Rishav Das scored 34 runs.
For Barpeta, Pranjal Paul took two wickets for 18 runs, while Shubham Kumar Gupta and Deepjyoti Saikia also took two wickets each.
At one time Barpeta’s team had lost four wickets for 99 runs, but Sonar and Maurya made an important partnership of 59 runs and took the team closer to victory. After this, Sonar along with captain Kunal Sharma took the team to the target.
Guwahati’s Bastav Roy took one wicket and won the Purple Cap with 23 wickets in the entire tournament. Rohit Sen became the winner of Orange Cap with 543 runs. He was also named Emerging Player of the Tournament. Bastav Roy received the Player of the Tournament award, while Nagaon Rangers’ Altaf Alam was named Catch of the Tournament.
Brief Score:
Guwahati Royals: 165 runs, 19.4 overs (Rohit Sen 90, Rishav Das 34; Pranjal Paul 2/18, Shubham Kumar Gupta 2/36, Deepjyoti Saikia 2/36).
Barpeta Braves: 166/5, 18.5 overs (Arun Sonar 34 not out, Hrishikesh Das 35, Sourav Mausam Dihingia 33; Bastav Roy 1/25, Deepak Gohain 1/17).