APL 2026: Rohit, Nibir steer Guwahati Royals to 5-wicket win over Dibrugarh Warriors, top of the table

Guwahati, Aug 10 (IANS) Guwahati Royals produced a brilliant performance as they chased down 122 to prevail against Dibrugarh Warriors by five wickets in the Assam Premier League (APL) 2026 at the ACA Stadium, Guwahati on Monday. With this win, Royals moved to the top of the table.

Rohit Sen’s aggressive batting performance set the platform for the chase, before a superb cameo from Nibir Deka handed Warriors their first loss of the season. Earlier, Bastab Roy, Mrinmoy Dutta, Nipan Deka and Deepak Gohain all picked up a couple of wickets each to bundle out Warriors for 121.

Having won the toss and opted to field, Royals ran riot to reduce Warriors to 20/3 inside five overs as Parvej Musaraf, Ronit Akhtar and Ayush Agarwal succumbed early. Skipper Saahil Jain fell soon after, leaving the Warriors in further trouble at 37/4.

Jay Borah and Jitumoni Kalita then combined for a 54-run stand for the fifth wicket to steady the innings, with Kalita striking 39 off 29 balls and Borah contributing 32 off 38. However, Warriors lost their last five wickets for just 30 runs as the innings fell away in the closing overs. With that staggering collapse, they were eventually bowled out for 121 in 19 overs.

In response, Guwahati Royals suffered an early wobble, losing Sanjay Kumar Singh, skipper Rishav Das and Bishal Sarma inside the first four overs. With his side reeling at 19/3, Rohit took charge, combining with Nibir in a 60-run stand for the fourth wicket to steady the chase. Sen struck a rapid 46 off 29 balls with seven fours before being dismissed by Sidhartha Sankar Baruah.

Nibir then anchored the innings from thereon, remaining unbeaten on 40 off 28 balls, and found support from Nipan Deka, who struck an unbeaten 12 off 12. Doikho Das kept the chase interesting for Warriors with figures of 3/20, but Royals ensured there were no further hiccups as they chased down 122 in 16.1 overs to complete a five-wicket win.

Brief scores:

Dibrugarh Warriors: 121/10 in 19 overs (Jitumoni Kalita 39, Jay Borah 32; Bastab Roy 2/16, Nipan Deka 2/14, Deepak Gohain 2/23).

Guwahati Royals: 122/5 in 16.1 overs (Rohit Sen 46, Nibir Deka 40*; Doikho Das 3/20, Sidhartha Sankar Baruah 1/12).

Result: Guwahati Royals beat Dibrugarh Warriors by 5 wickets.

–IANS

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