APL 2026: Nihar, Roshan fifties power Tezpur Titans to first win
Synopsis
Tezpur Titans were in dire straits at 6/2 before Nihar Deka and Roshan Topno turned the APL 2026 match on its head with a 136-run stand — both finishing on 72 — to overhaul Barak Legends' 158/7 with more than two overs to spare. Titans are finally off the mark this season.
Key Takeaways
Tezpur Titans beat Barak Legends by 7 wickets in the APL 2026 at ACA Stadium, Guwahati on 12 August .
Nihar Deka (72 off 44 balls) and Roshan Topno (72* off 46 balls) added a match-winning 136-run stand for the third wicket.
Titans were reduced to 6/2 early before the partnership turned the game around.
Bishal Saha top-scored for Barak Legends with an unbeaten 81 off 58 balls , anchoring their total of 158/7 .
Ayushman Malakar was Titans' best bowler with 2/33 ; Abdul Ajij Kuraishi took 2/21 for Legends.
This was Tezpur Titans' first win of the APL 2026 season.
Tezpur Titans claimed their first victory of the Assam Premier League (APL) 2026 season on 12 August, chasing down 159 to defeat Barak Legends by seven wickets at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati. A match-defining 136-run partnership between Nihar Deka and Roshan Topno for the third wicket sealed a comfortable win in just 17.5 overs.
Barak Legends Innings: Saha Anchors the Chase
Opting to field after winning the toss, Titans made early inroads, reducing Barak Legends to 32/2 inside the Power-play as Aman Singh and Subham Mandal departed cheaply. Shraban Kumar Khound contributed 18 and skipper Sibsankar Roy added 21, but wickets continued to fall at regular intervals.
The innings was held together by Bishal Saha, who produced a composed, unbeaten 81 off 58 balls — including seven fours and two sixes — to steer Legends to a competitive 158/7 in their 20 overs. Ayushman Malakar was the standout bowler for Titans, returning figures of 2/33, while Wasim Akram Haque, Danish Ahmed, Abhinav Choudhury, Nihar Deka, and Dharani Rabha shared the remaining wickets.
Titans Stutter, Then Surge
Tezpur Titans' reply began disastrously. Wasim Akram Haque was dismissed for a duck off the very first ball, and Dibash Hazarika followed shortly, leaving the side in early trouble at 6/2. The match appeared finely poised — until Nihar and Roshan took centre stage.
The pair constructed a commanding 136-run stand that effectively ended the contest. Nihar Deka blazed 72 off 44 balls, hitting five fours and five sixes, before being dismissed by Abdul Ajij Kuraishi. Roshan Topno carried on unbeaten, finishing on 72 off 46 balls with seven fours and three sixes, guiding Titans home to 159/3 in 17.5 overs.
Key Bowling Figures
For Barak Legends, Abdul Ajij Kuraishi was the most effective bowler with 2/21, and Mohit Thakur chipped in with 1/21, but the partnership between Nihar and Roshan proved far too substantial to contain.
Brief Scores
Barak Legends: 158/7 in 20 overs (Bishal Saha 81*, Sibsankar Roy 21; Ayushman Malakar 2/33, Wasim Akram Haque 1/23, Nihar Deka 1/20).
Tezpur Titans: 159/3 in 17.5 overs (Nihar Deka 72, Roshan Topno 72*; Abdul Ajij Kuraishi 2/21, Mohit Thakur 1/21).
Result: Tezpur Titans beat Barak Legends by 7 wickets. Titans are off the mark for the season and will look to build on this momentum in their next fixture.
Point of View
But the top-order fragility is a structural concern that opponents will target. Barak Legends, meanwhile, will rue their inability to defend 158, a total that Bishal Saha almost single-handedly constructed. In a tournament context, middle-order collapses and over-reliance on one batter are patterns that tend to compound as the competition intensifies.
NationPress
13 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the APL 2026 match between Tezpur Titans and Barak Legends?
Tezpur Titans won the match by 7 wickets, chasing down Barak Legends' total of 158/7 in just 17.5 overs at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on 12 August 2026.
How did Nihar Deka and Roshan Topno perform in the match?
Nihar Deka scored 72 off 44 balls with five fours and five sixes, while Roshan Topno remained unbeaten on 72 off 46 balls with seven fours and three sixes. The pair added 136 runs for the third wicket to seal the win.
What was Bishal Saha's contribution for Barak Legends?
Bishal Saha scored an unbeaten 81 off 58 balls, including seven fours and two sixes, anchoring Barak Legends' innings after a middle-order collapse to post a competitive 158/7.
How did Tezpur Titans start their chase?
Titans had a dismal start, losing Wasim Akram Haque for a duck off the first ball and Dibash Hazarika shortly after, slumping to 6/2. The Nihar-Roshan partnership then rescued the innings entirely.
What is the significance of this result for Tezpur Titans?
This was Tezpur Titans' first win of the APL 2026 season, allowing them to open their account in the points table and build momentum going into their upcoming fixtures.
