Kolkata Royal Tigers claimed their first victory of Season 3 of the Bengal T20 League on Monday, 15 June, edging out Servotech Siliguri Strikers by a nail-biting one run at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The win was built on a sensational hat-trick from Sourav Halder, who finished with figures of 4 for 22 to become only the second bowler in the league's history to achieve the feat this season.

Royal Tigers' Batting Effort

Asked to bat first, Kolkata Royal Tigers posted 147/9 in their allotted 20 overs. Abishek Porel was the standout performer with a quickfire 76 off 53 balls, while Ritwik Roy Chowdhury chipped in with a useful 33 off 27. The Siliguri bowling attack was led by Ishan Porel (3 for 24), Kaushik Maity (2 for 17), and Geet Puri (2 for 28).

Halder's Hat-Trick Turns the Tide

Chasing 148, Servotech Siliguri Strikers were well-placed at the midway mark, with Karan (46 off 35) and Sudip Chatterjee (35 off 31) providing a solid foundation. Vishal Bhati (18 off 15) extended the chase further. However, the contest shifted dramatically in the 13th over when Sourav Halder dismissed Vishal Bhati off the fourth ball, then sent back Snehasish Saha (0) and Badal Singh Balyan (0) off the fifth and sixth deliveries to complete a stunning hat-trick. Notably, this makes Halder only the second bowler to bag a hat-trick in the Bengal T20 League's history this season, following Md Shami's earlier feat in the same tournament.

Final-Over Drama Seals It

Pramod Chandila (35 off 23) kept Siliguri Strikers' hopes alive with a fighting cameo, but Sayan Ghosh claimed two crucial wickets in the final over to shut the door. Strikers finished on 146/7, falling one run short. Sayan Ghosh (2 for 25) and Ashutosh Kumar (1 for 25) supported Halder's starring role with the ball.

Malda Cruise Past Howrah Warriors

In the day's second fixture, Sobisco Smashers Malda registered a commanding eight-wicket win over Adamas Howrah Warriors. Howrah were bowled out for 132 in 20 overs, with Shashank Singh top-scoring on 60. Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal was the pick of Malda's bowlers with 4 wickets, while Mukesh Kumar took 3. Malda overhauled the target in just 13.4 overs, reaching 136/2. Abhimanyu Easwaran anchored the chase with a composed 58 off 37, while Akhil provided early momentum with a blistering 41 off 21 balls.

Brief Scores

Kolkata Royal Tigers 147/9 (20 overs) beat Servotech Siliguri Strikers 146/7 (20 overs) by 1 run.
Sobisco Smashers Malda 136/2 (13.4 overs) beat Adamas Howrah Warriors 132 all out (20 overs) by 8 wickets.

With the Bengal T20 League's Season 3 heating up, Monday's results reshuffled the standings and signalled that the tournament's hat-trick count — already featuring two in a single season — could set a new benchmark.