Rangpur Riders matched Comilla Victorians’ record with their 11th consecutive win in the Global Super League and BPL combined.
Rangpur’s opening batsman, Naeem Islam, took a catch to dismiss Taylor. Despite being dismissed early, he added 32 runs to his score, finishing with a total of 39.
In the following over, Arafat Sani’s delivery, which spun and moved, caused Iftikhar Ahmed to be stumped, and Rangpur found themselves in trouble, losing three wickets for just 6 runs.
Khushdil’s Storm Provides Hope
Khushdil Shah, coming in at number five, began counterattacking. With a six off the fourth ball, he shifted the momentum. He then hit three consecutive sixes in the 15th over, targeting Maruf. The left-arm pacer, who had given away just 6 runs in his first two overs, ended up conceding 30 runs in his next two.
In the next over, Mohammad Wasim took the wicket of Nurul Hasan Sohan, and Rangpur was in further danger of losing more wickets.
In the 17th over, Arafat Sani dropped an easy catch at cover off Binura’s first delivery, allowing Khushdil to continue. He added 27 more runs, with Rangpur scoring 51 runs in the last three overs.
In Wasim’s over, Khushdil smashed 25 runs off the first five balls, including three sixes and a four. His fifty came off just 26 balls. However, he was dismissed trying for another six, with Wasim taking a catch at the boundary.
Sheikh Mehedi Hassan scored 17 runs off 12 balls, including two fours and a six, while Saifuddin also hit a six on the final ball.
Top Order Failures for Chittagong
In response, Chittagong Kings lost their top batsman, Usman Khan, off Rakibul Hasan’s first ball as he attempted a big shot, only to be caught at third man. Parvez Hossain tried to counterattack but was caught off the last ball of the fifth over after hitting a six and a four.
Rakibul soon removed Mohammad Mithun and Graham Clark, bringing Chittagong to a perilous 53 for 4.
Naime and Shamim’s Defiant Stand
Naeem Islam and Shamim Hossain resisted with a fifth-wicket partnership, but they couldn’t score fast enough. Shamim hit a brilliant scoop shot for six off Saifuddin in the ninth over and followed it up with another six off Iftikhar’s delivery.
However, in the 15th over, Khushdil broke the 53-run partnership by bowling Naeem out for 19 off 24 balls. Shamim couldn’t continue the fight and was dismissed for a low score. Chittagong managed only 29 runs in their final six overs.
Akif’s Four-Wicket Haul and Khushdil’s Support
Akif Javed destroyed Chittagong’s batting with 4 wickets for just 32 runs in his four overs, while Khushdil Shah took 2 wickets for 23 runs in his four overs.
Match Summary :
- Rangpur Riders: 164/7 in 20 overs
(Toufik 5, Taylor 39, Saif 17, Iftikhar 3, Khushdil 59, Sohan 8, Mehedi 17, Saif Uddin 8*, Kamrul 0*; Binura 4-0-14-1, Marufa 4-0-36-0, Alis 4-0-28-2, Wasim 4-0-42-2, Sani 3-0-36-1, Naeem 1-0-4-1) - Chittagong Kings: 131/8 in 20 overs
(Usman 0, Parvez 26, Clark 23, Mithun 2, Naeem 19, Shamim 38, Wasim 6, Alis 7, Arafat 5*, Maruf 2*; Rakibul 3-0-15-1, Mehedi 4-0-25-0, Akif 4-0-32-4, Saif Uddin 1-0-12-0, Iftikhar 4-0-22-1, Khushdil 4-0-23-2)
Result: Rangpur Riders won by 33 runs.
Man of the Match: Khushdil Shah.
