Guwahati, Aug 11 (IANS) Guwahati Royals moved to the top of the Assam Premier League (APL) 2026 table after handing Dibrugarh Warriors their first defeat in the tournament, with Purple Cap holder Deepak Gohain once again leading the way with the ball.

The result takes the Royals to 8 points from 5 matches, edging Warriors on Net Run Rate at the top of the standings, with both sides now on four wins apiece.

Gohain himself sits at the top of the tournament’s bowling charts with 12 wickets from 5 matches at an economy of exactly 5.00 and an average of 8.33, with best figures of 3/11. Reflecting on his performance, the left-arm spinner credited his experience for helping him navigate match situations through a long campaign.

“Experience helps a lot. When you are playing a big tournament like this, the experience is useful in match situations. You can understand how to bowl on which wicket, how to bowl to which batsman, and that helps the team as well,” he said after the match.

For Gohain, the win over a side the Royals had never previously beaten carried special significance. “It’s been a big boost for the team. We executed our plans in this contest, and we’ve been focusing on doing the basics right. That helped us get the win against Dibrugarh,” he reckoned.

Sharing an insight into what has worked for him with the ball, the 33-year-old highlighted that variation has been the key.

“My mindset is simple. I try to keep varying my bowling, especially because pace variation is very important on this wicket. If you can do that properly and hit the right length, as a bowler, you get help from the wicket. The one thing that has worked consistently for me is cramping the batters for room to get the better of them,” he stated.

The left-arm spinner credited the team’s all-round effort built on a settled, confident dressing room. “The team’s performance has been really good. We have won 4 out of 5 matches now. So, the morale of the team is high. Our aim is to build on this and keep winning matches,” he added.

With the Royals now firmly in title contention, Gohain highlighted that the squad is staying grounded under calm guidance from the coaching staff. “Our coach is doing a brilliant job to ensure that the dugout always remains calm. That enables the players to play more freely and focus on what their role is. So, as players, we just focus on that,” he added.

“We are taking it one match at a time. We don’t want to look too far ahead. That’s the message from our coaches and the support staff. The captain ensures that the team’s mindset remains aligned and there is no pressure on anyone”, he concluded.

–IANS

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