Nahid Rana Leads Rangpur Riders to a Second Consecutive Victory with Career-Best Bowling
In a stunning display of pace and precision, Nahid Rana delivered his career-best bowling performance, securing Rangpur Riders a comfortable 34-run victory over Sylhet Strikers at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Before this match, Nahid had only 4 wickets in six T20 games, with no more than one wicket in a single innings. However, he turned the tables with a fiery spell, dismantling Sylhet’s batting lineup and claiming 4 wickets for 27 runs in his 4 overs. The young pacer was even close to securing a five-wicket haul, had a catch not been dropped.
Rangpur’s Innings: A Late Surge
Winning the toss, Rangpur Riders opted to bat first but faced early setbacks. Despite a shaky start, skipper Nurul Hasan Sohan played a pivotal knock of 41 off 24 balls, while Iftikhar Ahmed anchored the innings with an unbeaten 47 off 42. Together, they added 65 runs off 41 balls in the final overs, helping Rangpur reach 155/6.
Sylhet’s bowlers, particularly Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Al Amin Hossain, shone with 2 wickets each.
Nahid’s Fire Destroys Sylhet
Sylhet Strikers struggled right from the start, losing wickets at regular intervals. Nahid Rana’s pace rattled the opposition, starting with Zakir Hasan and Paul Stirling in his first over. Returning later, he removed Zakir Ali and Samiullah Shinwari, ensuring Rangpur’s domination.
Ronnie Talukdar top-scored for Sylhet with 41 off 35 balls, but a sluggish 24 off 33 from Zakir Ali stifled any momentum. Nahid’s efforts, coupled with Khushdil Shah and Saifuddin’s two wickets each, restricted Sylhet to just 121/9 in 20 overs.
Match Summary:
Rangpur Riders: 155/6 in 20 overs (Iftikhar 47*, Sohan 41; Tanzim 2/27, Al Amin 2/31)
Sylhet Strikers: 121/9 in 20 overs (Ronnie 41; Nahid 4/27, Khushdil 2/10)
Result: Rangpur Riders won by 34 runs
Player of the Match: Nahid Rana
Nahid’s fiery performance not only marked a personal milestone but also reaffirmed Rangpur Riders as strong contenders in the tournament.
