Kolkata club cricket's big four, East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, Kalighat and Bhowanipur Club, qualified for the semi-finals of the C.A.B First Division League Qualifier and Championship Playoffs on Sunday in four grounds across Bengal. 

East Bengal defeated Shambazar Club handsomely by 8 wickets, while their arch-rival Mohun Bagan defeated Mohammedan Sporting Club by 22 runs to reach the final four.

On the other hand, Kalighat managed a narrow one-wicket win over Town Club. But, Bhawanipore made the headlines by chasing down Barisha Sporting's mammoth 430-run target with 21 balls remaining in the match.

East Bengal beat Shambazar by 8 wickets

Kanishk Seth ran through the Shambazar Club in the first inning with his lethal left-arm pace bowling at the Deshbandhu Park Ground in Kolkata. Seth picked up three wickets for 32 and was well supported by Bengal's highest wicket-taker of the last two seasons, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal.

Suraj broke through the top order while Kanishk made sure the middle order did not get any momentum. Suraj picked up three wickets for 42 while captain Writtick Chatterjee also took two important wickets to ensure East Bengal had only 180 to chase in the second inning. 

During the chase, Abhisek Das and Satyaki Dutta gave them a great start, despite an early wicket of Akash Ghatak. Abhisek remained unbeaten on 70 while Satyaki departed after a 50 from 39 balls. Captain Writtick Chatterjee also played a quick-fire knock of 44 from 21 balls as the red and gold won by 8 wickets. 

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Writam Porel's gritty 96 helped Kalighat beat Town Club by 1 wicket

Despite Yuvraj Keswani's stunning 106, Town Club's 280 in the first inning did not prove to be enough as Writam Porel's unbeaten 96 took Kalighat over the line in a nail-biting finish at Aditya School Ground in Barasat.

Town Club in the first inning posted 280, depending on Yuvraj's ton and Avirup Gupta's 53. Arun Chaprana was the pick of the bowlers for Kalighat with 4/42. 

During the chase, Kalighat lost their openers quickly, but captain Anustup Majumdar scored 60 from 88 balls to keep them in the chase. But it was heroics from veteran Writam Porel that saw Kalighat qualify for the final four.

Writam remained unbeaten on 96 while he lost partners from the other end. Though Kalighat were short of the total after the full overs, a penalty of 86 runs helped them win by 1 wicket. 

Read Also | Bengal Cricket Exclusive | "Teams sign us to help them win trophies:" Subham Chatterjee after a double ton in CAB first-division pre-quarter-final match

Mohun Bagan defeated Mohammedan Sporting by 22 runs

Gitansh Khera and Ranjot Singh Khaira's incredible tons, along with Rohit Kumar's 4 wickets, helped the Green and Maroon brigade beat Mohammedan Sporting by 22 runs to reach the semis. 

Both Gitansh and Ranjot scored 124 in the first innings, which helped Mohun Bagan put 380 in the first innings at the Bengal Cricket Academy Ground in Kalyani. Vaibhav Yadav was the star of the show for Mohammedan with the ball as the left-arm spinner picked up six wickets for 108 for the black and white brigade.

In the second inning, captain Sudip Chatterjee fought a lone battle with a stunning 125 for Mohammedan along with Sambit Roy's 95. But, eventually, they fell short by 22 runs despite earning a penalty of 27 runs. 

Rohit Kumar was influential for Mohun Bagan with a stunning spell of 4/68. 

Read Also | Bengal Cricket: 7 U-19 cricketers from Bengal who can play for India in future

Habib Gandhi's heroics take Bhawanipore to the semis

Shakir Habib Gandhi's unbeaten 168 from 170 balls helped Bhawanipore chase a mammoth 430 against Barisha Sporting Club at Videocon Ground in Kolkata. 

Kazi Junaid Saifi's 161 and Sumanta Gupta's 107 helped Bhawanipore put up a huge total of 429 runs in the first inning. Aamir Gani picked up three wickets in the first inning. 

During the chase, Bhawanipore captain Abhimanyu Easwaran departed after scoring 51 off 71, but Jayojit Basu's 81 from 109 balls kept them in the game. 

However, it was all about Shakir Habib Gandhi's stunning 168 from 170 balls, which helped Bhawanipore chase down the total with four wickets in hand and 21 balls remaining in the match. 

Bengal has a deep-rooted passion for cricket, and the IPL offers a great opportunity to have their local talents compete at the highest level. Several players from Bengal were a part of the exciting IPL 2025 season.

Whether through match-winning spells, consistent contribution, or vital innings, their presence was always prominent in the season. Check out the full list and performance of Bengal Players in IPL 2025 along with their on-field impact.

1. Mohammed Shami (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Mohammed Shami has been a long-standing and key figure in Bengal's domestic cricketing landscape. After being ruled out of the previous IPL season (2024) due to an ankle injury, he made a comeback this year as Sunrisers Hyderabad's key pick and second-highest buy for ₹10 crore.

Shami had a somewhat mixed IPL 2025 season and struggled with consistency and his lengths. After his stellar Purple Cap-winning season in 2023, his 2025 campaign saw him take 6 wickets in 9 matches, with an economy of 11.25.

However, Shami continued to prove his excellence by becoming the only bowler in IPL history to claim a first-ball wicket 4 times. He achieved the fourth one by dismissing Shaik Rasheed in the SRH vs CSK match in the 2025 season.

Shami IPL 2025 stats:

Read Also: Will Sanju Samson join CSK for IPL 2026? Manager's hint fuels mega transfer rumours

2. Abishek Porel (Delhi Capitals)

Born in Chandannagar, West Bengal, Abishek Porel is a true local and a proud representative of the state. He was retained for ₹4 crore by Delhi Capitals, where he continued to showcase his brilliance as a wicket-keeper batter.

He began this season with a good pace and proved to be vital by accelerating the run flow when needed. He scored 301 runs in 13 matches, which makes him the second-highest scorer for DC this season.

While his form and the team's overall performance had a slight dip towards the latter part of the tournament, his contributions as a top-order batter were undeniable. He proved that he can adapt to different batting positions and do well.

Porel IPL 2025 stats:

Read Also: Suryavanshi touching Dhoni's feet: Here are 10 best moments of IPL 2025

3. Mukesh Kumar (Delhi Capitals)

Mukesh Kumar is another example of an incredible pacer who plays for Bengal in domestic cricket and has done exceptionally well in the stage of IPL. Following his brilliant 2024 season for DC, he was retained this year for ₹8 crore via RTM (Right to Match).

He proved to be a reliable performer, delivering effective spells in death overs and under pressure. His ability to use variations and bowl yorkers with accuracy made him a key part of the team's bowling unit.

He delivered a standout performance in IPL 2025 against LSG with his 4-wicket haul and great spell, which earned him the POTM award after their victory.

Kumar IPL 2025 stats:

Read Also: Top 5 underrated players in IPL 2025

4. Akash Deep (Lucknow Super Giants)

Hailing from Bihar, Akash Deep moved to Bengal to pursue cricket and performed well in the domestic field, then later making it to the India 'A' team. In IPL 2025, he was secured by Lucknow Super Giants for ₹8 crore and played 6 matches.

Akash missed some initial games due to a back injury, and later bounced back to showcase a glimpse of his quality and experience as a fast-medium bowler.

There wasn't any particular "game-changing" performance or moment for him this season, but his contributions were a part of LSG's overall bowling efforts.

Akash IPL 2025 stats:

5. Shahbaz Ahmed (Lucknow Super Giants)

A keu all-rounder for Bengal's state team, Shahbaz Ahmed was bought for ₹2.4 crore in the mega auction by Lucknow Super Giants. He played a supporting role in IPL 2025 and provided depth in their squad.

He played only 3 matches, where he came out to bat for a single innings and took 1 wicket in the entire season. While the 2025 season did not see any noteworthy performance, his presence in the squad was enough to back then up and bring flexibility as an all-rounder option.

Read Also: Is 2025 the miraculous year in sports history?

Ahmed IPL 2025 stats:

4 matches, 10 wickets and currently the joint-highest wicket-taker of the Bengal Pro T20 League 2025. 21-year-old Nuruddin Mondal has been the most impressive cricketer in this season's Bengal Pro T20 League. 

His stellar performance impressed former India cricketer Wriddhiman Saha so much that he even went on to say that "he can play for India in future."

But it is not new for him. Coming from a mofussil named Madanpur in Nadia district, Nuruddin has been bowling bouncers to every problem of his life to reach where he is now. The Servotech Siliguri Strikers' pacer shared his thoughts in an exclusive interview with Sportz Point.

How did it all start for Nuruddin Mondal?

Away before the Bengal Pro T20 League started, Sportz Point tracked Nuruddin's career since his second-division days. 

Nuruddin started his cricketing career at the age of 8 at Kalyani Municipal Academy, where he learnt the basics of cricket under coach Sanjay Dey. I got to see him bowl many overs on that cement wicket. 

But it was when he caught the attention of coach Debesh Chakrabarty that Nuruddin started progressing in his career. Debesh Chakrabarty is one of the most successful coaches in Bengal, known for producing players such as Sandipan Das, Sudip Gharami, Debopratim Halder, and many others. 

Read Also | Exclusive: Kanishk Seth wants to level up his game to IPL level, remembering the learnings from CSK days

"During the U-18 days, I felt I was faster than bowlers my age"

Nuruddin played in the C.A.B. U-13 and U-16 tournaments for Debesh Chakraborty's club. But when he started playing in the U-18 tournament, he began to feel that he was better and faster than his peers of the same age. 

"I started cricket around the age of 8 or 9 in Kalyani under Khokha Sir (Sanjay Dey). Then Debesh Sir (Chakrabarty) noticed me and since then I have been a student of his," Nuruddin told Sportz Point. 

"Although when I played U-13 or U-16 tournaments I did not feel any difference, during the U-18 tournaments, I started feeling that suddenly I was faster than others my age. It felt different," Nuruddin added. 

Nuruddin comes from a very humble family. His father works as a house painter, and just like every son of the house, he understands the importance of doing well in life. 

"When I felt that my pace had suddenly increased, and I became much stronger physically, I became more confident about my cricketing career," Nur expressed. 

Read Also | Exclusive: Advised by Sourav Ganguly, Abishek Porel gets coached by Yuvraj Singh; this is what he learned

Three years of second division cricket, and then came Calcutta Customs

But just like every student of Debesh Chakraborty, Nur also had to go through the ranks of Bengal cricket to prove he was ready for the bigger stages. The young pacer toiled hard for three seasons at Bengal Sporting Club before signing for Calcutta Customs Club. 

Still, it was not that smooth and easy for Nuruddin. He first had to impress one and all with a trial before getting signed by Customs.

"They asked me to go for a trial. I went and bowled well. All the coaches and Nilambar Sir (Saha) were impressed. They wanted me to sign for them."

"Debesh sir told me that even though I might get limited chances, I will learn a lot. So, I signed for them," Nuruddin stated. 

However, those limited chances were good enough for Nuruddin to prove himself. In a season when Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal broke through the doors of the Bengal team from Customs, Nur took advantage of his chances in white ball format. 

"I did well against Town in the T20 Quarter-finals. I bowled two maidens too. Then, did well against Mohun Bagan as well," he expressed. 

Rejections made him better than ever

Nuruddin's impressive spells got him selected for the Bengal U-23 camp, but life wanted to test him more. He failed to get selected for the Bengal U-23 and also missed the Bengal Pro T20 League selection by a whisker. 

In the first season of the league, Nur was a stand-by player for the Adamas Howrah Warriors. But these rejections made him stronger, and he knew in the next season, he would have to punch above his height. 

"Though I was not selected for the Bengal U-23 team and Bengal Pro T20 League, I was sure that I was on the right track," he stated. 

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"Bouncers and yorkers are my strength"

In the 2024-25 season, Nuruddin worked on every aspect of his bowling and emerged as a 200% better bowler. With 27 wickets across formats, he was one of the best U-23 bowlers of the Kolkata Club Cricket.

During the season, he worked on the bouncer and yorker so much that now he has confidence in bowling it at his will against any batter. 

"I practised them (bouncers and yorkers) so much that now I have the confidence of bowling it against any batter in any situation. Those two balls are my strengths"

Saha: "He can play for India in future"

This earned him a direct spot in the Servotech Siliguri Strikers' team, and the rest, they say, is history. Wriddhiman Saha even mentioned that he has all the capabilities to play for India in future. 

Delighted to hear that from a legend like Saha, Nur wants to keep his head down and take one step at a time.

"When praise comes from a legend like Wriddhiman Saha, obviously, it makes you happy. He did not know me. He saw me bowling for the first time during practice.

"So, this makes it even more special. But, I want to keep my head down and take one step at a time," he conveyed. 

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What's next?

So, what is next for Nuruddin Mondal? 

The youngster has a dream of donning that Blue jersey one day. But, for now, he has his eye on the Bengal Pro T20 League trophy and then on that Bengal U-23 jersey. 

"I feel like I need to keep doing what I have been doing well. Focusing on the process is the most important thing."

"But, if you talk about goal or aim, I want to win the Bengal Pro T20 League first, then play for Bengal U-23, then the seniors and hopefully for India in future. I want to climb up the ladder one by one," the youngster concluded. 

Kanishk Seth, during his U-19 days with Bengal, was seen as a future star. A batchmate of Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ishan Porel, and others, Seth quickly made a name for himself with his left-arm pace bowling.

However, fate had different plans for him. Just before the ICC U-19 World Cup, he suffered an injury, which led to Khaleel Ahmed replacing him. Ahmed later went on to represent India. 

Seth was also on the verge of joining the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team in 2022, but a registration issue cost him that opportunity. Harshit Rana took his place and subsequently played for India. 

Throughout his career, Kanishk has encountered several setbacks, some beyond his control and others due to circumstances he could have influenced. In search of stability, he joined Railways for the 2020/21 season, a decision he now considers a mistake. After leaving the Railways and paying a sum of INR 15.75 lakhs, Kanishk has returned to his roots in Bengal.

After a great season with Bengal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and East Bengal in club cricket, the left-arm pacer allrounder is now looking to go one level up at the Bengal Pro T20 League 2025.

In an exclusive interview with Sportz Point before playing his first match for the Adamas Howrah Warriors, Kanishk reflected on his journey. 

Read Also | Exclusive: Advised by Sourav Ganguly, Abishek Porel gets coached by Yuvraj Singh; this is what he learned

Return to Bengal from Railways

He made his T20 debut back in 2015, when he was a rookie in Bengal cricket. Although he had the potential to become one of Bengal's finest players, he had to wait a long time to become a consistent presence on the team.

"I went to the Railways to have some financial security in my life. I feel that was a bad decision, and I should have stayed in Bengal," Kanishk told Sportz Point. 

"Later on, I realised that a kid always had to come to his home to feel better. And, I feel better whenever I play for Bengal. Thanks for C.A.B. the way they took care of me when I wanted to return to Bengal," the left-arm pacer added. 

"I always aimed to return at 200% more than what I was when I left Bengal. I think those years of intensive training really paid off," Kanishk remarked.

Read Also | Exclusive: "I would love to see more sixes, more runs," Shreevats Goswami wants bigger scores in Bengal Pro T20 League 2025

Learnings from CSK

In 2018, Kanishk was bought by Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Even though he didn't get to play a game, the experience taught him invaluable lessons that he is now applying in his game. "At CSK, multiple international captains were part of one team, offering a unique learning environment. I am grateful for the experiences and memories from my time there."

"It took me 2-3 years to translate those learnings into my gameplay, but I'm finally seeing the results now."

Throughout those years, his former teammates from U-19 cricket have advanced in their careers. Ishan Porel nearly broke into the Indian team, Abhimanyu Easwaran is on the verge of making his Test debut, and Akash Deep has already represented India. Despite this, Kanishk remains unfazed.

"I don't mind my journey being different. Everyone has their path. I feel happiest when someone from my batch achieves success, whether it's playing for India or the IPL. They all deserve it," he said. 

Read Also | Bengal Cricket: 7 U-19 cricketers from Bengal who can play for India in future

"IPL teams demand clarity and execution"

Currently, Kanishk is focused on reaching the next level and helping his team succeed. After attending numerous IPL trials, he has a clearer understanding of what teams look for in a player and is working on those aspects.

"IPL franchises look for clarity. You should have the skill to bowl six consecutive Yorkers if needed, and you must execute effectively over 80% of the time to play at that level," Kanishk explained.

That is when fellow Bengal players like Shahbaz Ahmed, who is one of the key players in the IPL, help him with information. During the Bengal Pro T20 League 2024, Sportz Point noticed how Shahbaz was sharing how Kanishk's slower ball was getting picked easily.

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"Shahbaz was saying even at the start of the run-up, he was picking that I was going to bowl a slower ball. I worked on that in the off-season and got Hardik (Pandya), Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma out with that slower ball," Kanishk stated. 

Throughout his journey, Kanishk has seen many opportunities slip through his fingers, whether it was playing in the IPL or missing out on the ICC U-19 World Cup. However, he now knows what to do and how to respond to life’s challenges.

With the Adamas Howrah Warriors, Kanishk aims to be a valuable contributor—whether it’s bowling at the start or end of an innings, scoring runs, or taking crucial catches. He is determined to make a mark in the Bengal Pro T20 League. 

"Only winners get noticed in cricket. I want to help the team win. That's it. I hope I will be able to do that," he concluded.

Abishek Porel, the Bengal and Delhi Capitals wicket-keeper, had a decent IPL 2025 with the bat in hand. Just like the 2024 season, he was trusted to bat at the top of the order alongside some of the biggest names in world cricket.

But the season did not turn out the way he would have liked. On most occasions, he got out after getting the start. 

Porel averaged only 25.08, a drop from the 2024 season's 32.70. The main reason for that was him getting out on 30-40 after getting a decent start for his team, Delhi Capitals. And, he knows it hurt his own performance and the team as well. 

That is why Sourav Ganguly wanted the youngster to visit Yuvraj Singh and get some valuable learnings ahead of the Bengal Pro T20 League 2025. 

It was Sourav Ganguly who gave the Bengal wicket-keeper a chance to replace Rishabh Pant in IPL 2023. Porel did his part so well as an impact sub that he went on to play all 14 games for Delhi Capitals next season. Not only that, he was also retained by the franchise ahead of the mega auction.

Yuvraj Singh, one of the greatest white-ball cricketers of Indian cricket, is known for his performances in the 2011 ICC World Cup, where he emerged as the Player of the tournament, despite going through cancer. Not only that, his six sixes in an over in India's victories in the 2007 T20 World Cup are one of the most iconic moments in Indian cricket's history.

Read Also | India's 2011 World Cup winning squad: Where are they now?

After retiring from international cricket, Yuvraj Singh chose not to pursue a career in commentary. Instead, he decided to help young batters excel at the international level. He began working personally with Punjab cricketers such as Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh, Ramandeep Singh, and several others.

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All of these Punjab batters did exceedingly well after getting trained by Yuvraj. Shubman Gill's career graph went up as he became Indian's latest test captain. Meantime, Abhishek Sharma went on to debut for India T20I format.

After a decent season where Porel feels he could have been better, a session with Yuvraj Singh is what he needed to get everything sorted. The youngster thus went for a camp held by Yuvraj Singh in Delhi, where players like Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, and Prabhsimran Singh were also there.

"Sourav (Ganguly) sir wanted me to visit Yuvraj Singh to learn from one of the greatest batters of Indian cricket. It was all about getting to know how to be ready for the international stage," Porel told Sportz Point in an exclusive interview. 

"We worked on a few basic things, and you know if you stay around a man like Yuvraj Singh, you will get to learn more. I will visit the camp again and will learn more things from him," Porel added. 

Abishek is leading the Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers in the Bengal Pro T20 League 2025. In his state's own league, Porel now wants to rectify all of those mistakes he made in IPL 2025 and work on some individual things while leading the team to success. 

"I would love to get through that 30-40 runs zone and score more runs to help the team. That is the goal. Even Sourav (Ganguly) sir also told me that 30-40s are not enough, and I need to score more and look for hundreds," Porel shared. 

Bengal Pro T20 League 2025 is all set to start from 11 June 2025, with an iconic inaugural event at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata.

Post the opening act by Sunidhi Chauhan and a few other surprising artists, Sobisco Smashers Malda and Murshidabad Kings, the finalists of the men's edition last season, will take on each other for the opening match of the season at 7 pm IST. 

From 12th June till the league stage ends on 24th June, Eden Gardens will host two matches every day; one from 1 pm IST and another from 7 pm IST.

Read Also | Bengal Pro T20 League 2025: 8 franchises choose squads among 802 players; here are the full squads

The women's edition will kick off from 12 June 2025, at the J.U. Second Campus Ground in Salt Lake, with a double header every day till the group stage. Every women's match will start from 9 am IST and 1.30 pm IST.

This season, the whole Bengal Men's Pro T20 League 2025 will have the Decision Review System (DRS) in full force. Only the Women's final at Eden Gardens will have the DRS in action. 

The final will be played on 28th June at the Eden Gardens, with the Women's final taking place from 1:30 pm IST, while the Men's final will start at 7 pm IST.

Read Also | Exclusive: "I would love to see more sixes, more runs," Shreevats Goswami wants bigger scores in Bengal Pro T20 League 2025

When does the Bengal Pro T20 League 2025 start?

The Men's Bengal Pro T20 League 2025 will start from 11 June 2025, while the Women's Bengal Pro T20 League 2025 will kick off from 12 June 2025.

Which venue will host the Bengal Pro T20 League 2025?

All the men's matches will be played at Eden Gardens with full DRS in action. Meanwhile, the Women's matches will be played at J.U. Second Campus Ground. The final of the men's and women's editions will be played at the Eden Gardens. 

When is the final of the Bengal Pro T20 League 2025?

The Bengal Pro T20 League 2025 final will be played on 28th June 2025 at the Eden Gardens. The women's final will start at 1.30 pm IST, while the men's final will start at 7 pm IST. 

Where can I watch the Bengal Pro T20 League 2025?

The fans can watch the Bengal Pro T20 League and Bengal Women's Pro T20 League 2025 LIVE on Fancode with a paid subscription. Star Sports 3 will broadcast every match LIVE on Indian television.

Will there be DRS in the Bengal Pro T20 League 2025?

DRS will be in full action during the men's matches at Eden Gardens. The women's final at the Eden Gardens will have DRS in action.

Who will perform at the Bengal Pro T20 League's opening ceremony?

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Indian music star Sunidhi Chauhan will perform at the Bengal Pro T20 League's opening ceremony at the Eden Gardens. The opening ceremony will start at 5 pm IST.