Shakib Al Hasan’s name is now tied to the first-ever “Timed Out” in international cricket history. If not for the political turmoil in Bangladesh, Shakib would have likely played this match for Chittagong Kings.
Had Angelo Mathews received an NOC from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), he might have been Shakib’s teammate in Chittagong and the victim of the first-ever “Timed Out.” In that case, both Shakib and Mathews could have witnessed a second “Timed Out” incident.
But that wasn’t the case, thanks to the “sportsmanship” shown by Khulna Tigers’ captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who ensured it didn’t happen again at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
Tom O’Connell from Chittagong was initially given out for taking too long to come to bat. It was Miraz who first appealed against O’Connell. This led to a heated exchange with umpire Tanvir Ahmed. Eventually, Miraz withdrew his appeal, allowing O’Connell to return, only for him to be dismissed on the very first ball—caught by none other than Miraz himself!
When this dramatic 5-minute incident unfolded, Chittagong was already reeling at 56/6. It soon became 75/8, and a sub-100 total seemed inevitable. However, Shamim Hossain’s lone battle added some respectability to their score. The franchise, returning to the BPL after 11 years, lost their first match of the season by 37 runs.
Khulna had earlier set a target of 203/4, thanks to unbeaten fifties from William Bosisto and Mahidul Islam. Chittagong, powered by Shamim’s valiant 78 off 38 balls, was bowled out for 166.
Beyond Miraz’s “sportsmanship,” the match offered plenty of moments to remember for Bangladeshi cricket fans: a record-breaking 1-ball-15-runs scenario, dropped catches galore, the first team score above 200 in this BPL season, and Mahidul Islam’s record-breaking fastest fifty by a Bangladeshi batsman in T20s, all amidst Shamim’s heroic resistance.
Khulna started their innings cautiously, losing opener Mohammad Naim early during the powerplay. Miraz then paired with the other opener, Bosisto, to build a steady 51-run partnership for the second wicket.
Once Miraz departed at 88, Ibrahim Zadran and Afif Hossain couldn’t make significant contributions. However, Bosisto remained steady, forming an unbeaten 86-run stand with Mahidul Islam—Khulna’s highest partnership for the fifth wicket in BPL history, surpassing the previous best of 82 by Mushfiqur Rahim and Najibullah Zadran.
Mahidul’s blistering 18-ball fifty is now the fastest fifty by a Bangladeshi batsman in T20s, breaking all previous records in BPL and domestic T20 leagues. Bosisto finished on 75 not out, while Mahidul remained unbeaten at 59.
For Chittagong, Aliss and Khaled Ahmed took two wickets each, but the bowling attack—except Aliss—was expensive.
Chasing 203 was always going to be a tough ask for Chittagong, and it became even harder given the absence of star players like Shakib, Mathews, and Moeen Ali. To compensate for their weak bowling lineup, the team fielded only six recognized batsmen, but five of them failed to deliver, with Shamim being the sole performer.
Chittagong’s innings began on a promising note, scoring 18 runs in the first 4 balls, including a bizarre 1-ball-15 run scenario. Khulna pacer Oshane Thomas bowled a chaotic opening over, with only one legitimate ball, which yielded all those runs.
Despite this promising start, experienced batsmen like Nayeem Islam—who was dropped twice—failed to capitalize. Parvez Hossain, captain Mohammad Mithun, and Pakistani players Usman Khan and Haider Ali all failed to make meaningful contributions, leaving Chittagong effectively out of the match within 10 overs.
Shamim, however, kept fighting, adding 77 runs for the ninth wicket with Aliss—Chittagong’s highest partnership for that wicket. Shamim smashed 7 fours and 5 sixes, becoming the first Chittagong batsman to hit five sixes in a single BPL innings.
Match Summary:
Khulna Tigers: 203/4 in 20 overs
(Bosisto 75*, Mahidul 59*, Naim 26; Aliss 2/17, Khaled 2/45)
Chittagong Kings: 166 in 18.5 overs
(Shamim 78, Usman 18, Khaled 14; Abu Hider 4/44, Nawaz 2/13)
Result: Khulna Tigers won by 37 runs.
Player of the Match: Mahidul Islam
