Bengal T20 League 2026: Malda chase Highest Total in History, Rarh Tigers win a Thriller

Sobisco Smashers Malda produced a breathtaking chase at Eden Gardens, pulling off the highest successful run chase in Bengal T20 League history.

Facing a daunting 203, Malda raced to 204/5 in 18.4 overs to beat Rashmi Medinipur Wizards by five wickets – eclipsing Malda’s own previous best chase of 189 against Servotech Siliguri Strikers in 2024.

Malda openers Akhil and Abhimanyu Easwaran exploded out of the blocks, putting Malda well ahead of the required rate. Akhil’s quickfire 48 off 21 laid the platform, while Easwaran’s composed 52 off 29 kept the innings ticking through the powerplay and into the middle overs. With the chase still tense, Prayas Ray Barman shifted gears in the middle overs, his 32 off 19 featuring boundary-hitting that blunted the Wizards’ bowling plans.

As wickets fell periodically, Kaif Ahmed played the finisher’s role to perfection – an unbeaten 37 off 19, striking when required and steering Malda across the line with support from Agniv Pan (13* off 8). The winning runs underlined a clinical chase: paced aggression early, controlled acceleration in the middle, and calm finishing.

Rashmi Nes Medinipur Wizards had set a formidable target after electing to bat, posting 202/4. Agniswar Das led the charge with a well-constructed 69 off 48, Anustup Majumdar provided the backbone with 58 off 36, and Vivek Singh’s late flourish (41* off 21) pushed the total past 200. Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal was the standout with the ball for Malda, returning two wickets and maintaining pressure with tidy spells.

Earlier, Shrachi Rarh Tigers edged out Adamas Howrah in a tense finish, winning by a single wicket. Howrah posted 179/6 thanks to Writtick Chatterjee (64 off 43) and skipper Shakir Habib Gandhi (60 off 39). Rarh’s chase was scrappy but effective; Shahbaz Ahmed led from the front with an influential all-round performance (35 with the bat, two wickets with the ball), supported by Sumit Nag (28) and Rahul Prasad (24). Sonu Himanshu was the pick of the bowlers for Howrah with a four-wicket haul, but Rarh held their nerve to win a thriller.