Bengal T20 League: Rarh Tigers crush Royals Purulia by 7 wickets, reach men's final
Synopsis
Shrachi Rarh Tigers turned the first Bengal T20 League Season 3 semifinal into a procession — bowling Purulia out for 107, then chasing it down in 12.1 overs with seven wickets and five overs to spare. Rohit Kumar's 4/24 and Sumanta Gupta's unbeaten 47 did the heavy lifting; the final awaits.
Key Takeaways
Shrachi Rarh Tigers beat Novus Royals Purulia by 7 wickets in the Bengal T20 League Season 3 first semifinal on 20 June at Eden Gardens .
Royals Purulia were bowled out for 107 in 18.2 overs ; Lokesh (48) and Mithilesh Das (23) top-scored.
Rohit Kumar took 4 for 24 ; Sukhmeet Singh (2/7) and Shahbaz Ahmed (2/31) provided strong support.
Sumanta Gupta's unbeaten 47 off 31 balls and Shahbaz Ahmed's 31 off 20 guided the chase in just 12.1 overs .
The second semifinal will see Servotech Siliguri Strikers take on Sobisco Smashers Malda .
Shrachi Rarh Tigers stormed into the men's final of Season 3 of the Bengal T20 League on Saturday, 20 June, dismantling Novus Royals Purulia by seven wickets in a dominant first semifinal at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The victory was comprehensive from first ball to last, with Rarh Tigers' bowlers and batters both delivering clinical performances.
Purulia Collapse Sets the Tone
Asked to bat first, Novus Royals Purulia never found their footing, losing wickets at regular intervals before being bundled out for just 107 in 18.2 overs. Lokesh (48) and Mithilesh Das (23) were the only batters to offer any resistance, but neither could anchor a meaningful recovery. The Purulia batting lineup crumbled against a disciplined Rarh Tigers attack.
Rohit Kumar and Shahbaz Ahmed Dismantle Purulia
Rohit Kumar was the standout bowler, returning figures of 4 for 24 to wreck the Purulia middle order. Shahbaz Ahmed chipped in with 2 for 31, while Sukhmeet Singh was the most economical of the three, finishing with 2 for 7. Together, the trio restricted Purulia to a target that always looked below par on the Eden Gardens surface.
Sumanta Gupta Seals It in Style
Chasing 108 to win, Shrachi Rarh Tigers cantered home at 110 for 3 in just 12.1 overs — with more than five overs to spare. Sumanta Gupta anchored the reply with an unbeaten 47 off 31 balls, while Shahbaz Ahmed, influential with bat as well as ball, cracked a brisk 31 off 20 deliveries. The pair's partnership effectively ended the contest before the halfway stage of the chase.
Second Semifinal: A Marquee Playoff Clash
Servotech Siliguri Strikers will face Sobisco Smashers Malda in the second semifinal — billed as the standout clash of the playoff stage. Notably, the match pits the tournament's leading run-scorer against the tournament's leading wicket-taker, setting up a compelling battle between bat and ball.
About the Bengal T20 League
The Bengal T20 League is a franchise-based T20 competition organised under the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). Now in its third season, the league features eight city-based franchises representing West Bengal — including Adamas Howrah Warriors, Murshidabad Kings and Kueens, Rashmi Nes Medinipur Wizards, and Kolkata Royal Tigers, among others. Men's matches are played at Eden Gardens, with the women's competition hosted at the JU Salt Lake Campus, Kolkata. Shrachi Rarh Tigers now await the winner of the second semifinal in the men's final.
Brief Scores: Novus Royals Purulia 107 (18.2 overs) lost to Shrachi Rarh Tigers 110/3 (12.1 overs) by 7 wickets.
Point of View
Which is the hallmark of a genuine title contender rather than a semifinal passenger. The bowling trio of Rohit Kumar, Shahbaz Ahmed, and Sukhmeet Singh conceded fewer than 30 runs combined in their combined eight wickets, a figure that would be competitive in any T20 league. The more interesting story, however, is the second semifinal: the collision between the tournament's top run-scorer and leading wicket-taker is the kind of narrative that Bengal club cricket rarely generates at scale. How that contest unfolds will determine whether the final has a genuine two-team contest or another one-sided afternoon at Eden Gardens.
NationPress
21 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Bengal T20 League Season 3 men's first semifinal?
Shrachi Rarh Tigers won the first semifinal, beating Novus Royals Purulia by seven wickets at Eden Gardens on 20 June. They chased down 108 in just 12.1 overs to advance to the men's final.
What were Rohit Kumar's bowling figures in the semifinal?
Rohit Kumar took 4 wickets for 24 runs, making him the standout bowler of the match. Sukhmeet Singh (2/7) and Shahbaz Ahmed (2/31) provided strong support as Purulia were dismissed for 107.
Who are the top performers for Shrachi Rarh Tigers?
Sumanta Gupta top-scored with an unbeaten 47 off 31 balls, while Shahbaz Ahmed contributed both with the ball (2/31) and the bat (31 off 20 balls). Rohit Kumar was the pick of the bowlers with 4/24.
Who will Shrachi Rarh Tigers face in the Bengal T20 League final?
Shrachi Rarh Tigers will face the winner of the second semifinal between Servotech Siliguri Strikers and Sobisco Smashers Malda. That match is described as the marquee playoff clash, pitting the tournament's leading run-scorer against its leading wicket-taker.
What is the Bengal T20 League and who organises it?
The Bengal T20 League is a franchise-based T20 cricket competition organised by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). Now in its third season, it features eight city-based franchises from across West Bengal, with men's matches at Eden Gardens and women's matches at JU Salt Lake Campus, Kolkata.
