Cricket

Howrah Warriors Triumph Over Medinipur Wizards in Bengal Pro T20 LeagueIn a thrilling encounter at the ongoing Bengal Pro T20 League, Howrah Warriors secured their maiden victory by defeating Medinipur Wizards by five wickets. Opting to bat first, the Wizards were dismissed for a modest 132, thanks to a devastating five-wicket haul by Saksham Chaudhary.The Warriors' chase got off to a shaky start, losing early wickets. However, a crucial partnership between Pramod Chandila (46*) and Pankaj Shaw (36*) steadied the innings. With just one ball remaining, the Warriors reached the target, much to the delight of their supporters.Apart from the nail-biting run-chase, the match was also marked by an extraordinary catch by Abhishek Das. In the 19th over, Das displayed remarkable reflexes to dismiss Deepak Mahato with a single-handed catch at the long-on boundary. The catch drew widespread praise and was reminiscent of Punjab Kings skipper Shikhar Dhawan's signature thigh slap celebration, which Das imitated after taking the wicket.For the Wizards, Vivek Singh and Kaushik Maity were the standout performers with the bat, scoring 34 and 32 runs, respectively. However, Chaudhary's five-wicket haul proved too much for their batting lineup. Sujit Yadav and Kanishk Seth also contributed with two wickets each for the Warriors.In the chase, the Warriors faced some early setbacks, losing five wickets for just 69 runs. But Chandila and Shaw's partnership of 77 runs turned the tide in their favor. For the Wizards, Vaibhav Yadav claimed two wickets, while Shreyan Chakraborty, Deepak Kumar, and Kaushik Maity took one wicket each.The Warriors will now face Malda Smashers in their next Bengal Pro T20 League match on Sunday. With their first win under their belt, they will be looking to build momentum and continue their winning ways.

Wriddhiman Saha, the veteran wicketkeeper-batter, is set to make a triumphant return to Bengal for the upcoming Indian domestic season. He will also grace the inaugural Bengal Pro T20 league, which commences on Tuesday at the iconic Eden Gardens.Saha, who has represented Bengal for nearly 15 years, had moved to Tripura ahead of the 2022-23 season as a player-cum-mentor. However, after two years, he has decided to return to his home state.The 39-year-old was not initially included in the draft list for the Bengal Pro T20 league. However, he was picked by the Rashmi Medinipur Wizards team as a replacement for the injured Abhimanyu Easwaran. The Wizards, led by Sudip Chatterjee, also boast former India U-19 fast bowler Ishan Porel in their ranks.A total of eight teams will participate in the Pro T20 league, with each team playing seven league-stage matches. The semi-finals and final will be held on June 28 at the Eden Gardens."We are delighted to welcome Wriddhiman back to Bengal. His presence in the Bengal Pro T20 League will undoubtedly add to the tournament's allure," said Snehasish Ganguly, president of the Cricket Association of Bengal.Saha has an impressive first-class record, having played 136 matches and scoring 7013 runs at an average of 41.99. He has also represented India in 40 Test matches, scoring 1353 runs at an average of 29.41.In the recently concluded IPL 2023 season, Saha played for the Gujarat Titans, who won the title in their inaugural season. However, he had a disappointing campaign, scoring only 136 runs in nine innings.Saha's return to Bengal is expected to bolster the team's chances in both the Pro T20 league and the Ranji Trophy. His experience and leadership will be invaluable to the young players in the squad.