Soumya Sarkar leads Rangpur Riders to GSL 2024 triumph

Soumya Sarkar's brilliant unbeaten 86 powered the Rangpur Riders to a resounding 56-run win over Victoria in the Global Super League (GSL) 2024 final at the Providence Stadium on Friday.  

Batting first, the Riders posted a challenging total of 178-3, thanks to Sarkar and Steven Taylor’s superb half-centuries. The duo dominated the early stages with a 124-run partnership for the opening wicket.  

Taylor was in fine form, smashing 68 off 49 balls, including four boundaries and as many sixes, before falling to Karima Gore on the last ball of the 14th over. Despite losing Taylor, Sarkar held firm, anchoring the innings with his unbeaten 86 off 54 balls, featuring seven boundaries and five sixes.  

Victoria's bowlers managed to pick up a few wickets later on, with Gore, Dominic Drakes, and Max Birthisel taking one each, but they couldn’t stop Rangpur from setting an imposing target of 179 runs.  

Chasing the total, Victoria faltered and were bowled out for 122 in just 18.1 overs. Joe Clarke was the only batter to resist, scoring a quick 40 off 22 balls with seven boundaries. Blake Macdonald contributed 16 runs off 15 balls but couldn’t build a partnership to challenge the target.  

Rangpur’s bowlers were exceptional, with Harmeet Singh leading the attack, taking three wickets. Rishad Hossain, Saif Hassan, and Mahedi Hasan chipped in with two wickets each, dismantling Victoria's batting lineup.  

This victory crowned Rangpur Riders as the GSL 2024 champions, showcasing an all-around performance with both bat and ball.  

Rangpur Riders Playing XI: Steven Taylor, Soumya Sarkar, Saif Hassan, Wayne Madsen, Nurul Hasan (c) (wk), Afif Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Harmeet Singh, Rishad Hossain, Zak Chappell, Kamrul Islam.  

Victoria Playing XI: Blake Macdonald, Joe Clarke, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Jonathan Wells, Scott Edwards (wk), Corey Anderson (c), Karima Gore, Max Birthisel, Dominic Drakes, Callum Stow, Jackson Smith.