Shrachi Rarh Tigers won the Bengal T20 League men’s title after beating Sobisco Smashers Malda in a rain-affected final at Eden Gardens on Sunday night, June 21, 2026.
The final was decided by the DLS method after interruptions reduced the match. Rarh Tigers, batting first, made 165 for four in 15 overs. Malda were then set a revised target of 107 in nine overs but finished on 97 for five, nine runs short.
Shahbaz Ahmed and Gaurav Chauhan rebuild innings
Rarh Tigers had a poor start after being asked to bat. They slipped to 10 for three, leaving their innings in trouble early in the final.
Captain Shahbaz Ahmed changed the direction of the innings with an unbeaten 88 from 46 balls. His knock included seven fours and six sixes. He was supported by Gaurav Chauhan, who scored 55 off 30 balls with one four and five sixes.
The pair added 144 runs, the highest partnership of the league. Shahbaz scored strongly on the leg side, while Chauhan found boundaries on both sides of the wicket.
The acceleration at the end was decisive. Rarh Tigers collected 58 runs from the last three overs, pushing their total to 165 for four in the shortened 15-over innings. For Malda, Akhil took two wickets for four runs.
Malda fall short after revised chase
Malda’s chase was also affected by rain, leaving them with a target of 107 in nine overs under the DLS method. They scored quickly enough to stay in the contest for much of the innings, but lost wickets at important moments.
Opener Abhimanyu Easwaran top-scored for Malda with 38 from 22 balls. His innings included two fours and two sixes, giving the chasing side a useful start in a stop-start innings.
The key over came late in the chase when pacer Sukhmeet Singh dismissed Kaif Ahmed and Abhimanyu in the ninth over. Those two wickets gave Rarh Tigers control at the finish and left Malda needing more than they could manage from the remaining deliveries.
Sukhmeet finished with two wickets for 14 runs as Rarh Tigers closed out the final by nine runs on the DLS calculation.
Match details
- Final: Shrachi Rarh Tigers vs Sobisco Smashers Malda
- Venue: Eden Gardens
- Date: Sunday night, June 21, 2026
- Result: Shrachi Rarh Tigers won by nine runs by DLS method
- Rarh Tigers: 165/4 in 15 overs
- Malda: 97/5 in 9 overs, revised target 107
Shahbaz Ahmed’s unbeaten 88 and his 144-run stand with Gaurav Chauhan were the main difference in a final shaped by rain and reduced overs. Malda stayed in the chase through Abhimanyu Easwaran, but Sukhmeet Singh’s double strike in the ninth over sealed the title for Rarh Tigers.
Source: The Hindu Cricket.