Deep Dasgupta and Rohan Gavaskar slammed whirlwind half-centuries to guide Royal Bengal Tigers to an eight-wicket victory over Dhaka Warriors in the ICL 20s Championship at the Tau Devi Lal stadium on Saturday night.
Setting a victory target of 173 by Dhaka Warriors, the Tigers were off to a flying start with openers Hamish Marshall (20) and Dasgupta hitting the rival bowlers to all corners of the ground.
The duo set a scorching pace, piling up 39 runs in the first four overs. This forced Warriors' skipper Habibul Bashar to bring in Mosharraf Hossain and the left-armer produced immediate results by getting rid of Marshall.
The former New Zealand batsman tried to drive but failed to judge the pace of the ball and was bowled.
This brought Gavaskar to the middle and the left-hander notched up his first ICL half-century in just 32 balls. His innings included two boundaries and three massive sixes.
Mohammad Rafique trapped him leg before for 51 with the last ball of the 17th over, but by that time the Tigers were in a comfortable position, needing 23 runs from 18 balls.
The hard hitting Lance Klusener, who replaced Gavaskar, had a lucky escape in the next over when he had an lbw appeal overturned after it was reviewed by the television umpire.
The strongly built South African then hit two sixes in the next over as the Tigers romped home to an easy victory.
Earlier in the evening, Tigers' skipper Craig McMillan won the toss and elected to field.
The Royal Bengal Tigers opened with the experienced Klusener for the first time in the tournament and it delivered results immediately, with the wicket of Nazimuddin, getting only two runs against his name.
Aftab Ahmed played a superb innings, and got into the repair act for the Dhaka Warriors, scoring 14 runs off the 4th over from Abu Nechim.
Ahmed and Shahriar Nafees were working up a strong partnership for the second wicket, taking the Dhaka Warriors score to 64 at the eighth over mark.
A big six over midwicket off Chandana brought about Aftab Ahmed's 50 coming off only 30 balls; including five fours and three mighty sixes.
The 75-run partnership for the second wicket was struck down by Eklak Ahmed scalping Nafees in the 10th over.
Ahmed displayed a disciplined performance of controlled seam bowling, picking up his second scalp of the match with the big wicket of Aftab Ahmed in the 14th over. Aftab Ahmed's well made 61 off 41 balls was studded with six boundaries and three sixes.
Ahmed, who also claimed the wicket of Mahbubul Karim, was the pick of the bowlers for the Tigers. He ended his spell with impressive figures of 3 for 20 in 4 overs.
Kapali on the other end was giving full proof of why he is rated as one of the MVP (most valuable players) at the ICL, bringing his 50 off 27 balls in the 17th over.
Kapali was looking in dangerous mood looking to create some serious damage, till Klusener picked up his prized wicket in the penultimate over for a brilliant innings of 65. Kapali's knock came off only 33 balls and included four fours and five sixes.