The Sylhet Strikers’ bowlers struggled with control, giving away excessive runs, which made the task easier for the Dhaka Capitals.
With 23 runs needed in the final over, Mustafizur Rahman started by conceding a six to Samiullah Shinwari, followed by a wide and a boundary, creating intense drama. The TV cameras caught Dhaka coach Khaled Mahmud’s worried expression, seemingly saying, “Are we going to lose this one too?”
But Dhaka didn’t lose. Mustafizur recovered from an expensive start to dismiss the dangerous Ariful Haque and bowled well to finish the over, securing a narrow win for Dhaka in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
In a bottom-of-the-table clash on Monday at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, Dhaka Capitals defeated Sylhet Strikers by 6 runs, pushing Sylhet to the bottom of the standings and climbing one step higher.
Litton Das Shines as Dhaka Posts a Big Total
Dhaka, powered by Litton Kumar Das’s 70-run innings and Thisara Perera’s cameo, posted 196 runs in 20 overs. Sylhet’s bowlers were all over the place, contributing to their own downfall with erratic bowling.
Despite fifties from Rony Talukdar and late fireworks from Zakir Ali and Ariful Haque, Sylhet fell short at 186 runs.
This victory marked Dhaka’s second win in 9 matches, while Sylhet suffered their sixth loss in 8 matches.
Sylhet’s Wicketkeeping Experiment Fails Again
Sylhet made a surprising change by handing wicketkeeping duties to Rony Talukdar, their fourth keeper in eight matches. Rony’s performance behind the stumps was lackluster, allowing several extra runs for Dhaka.
Dhaka’s Batting Carnage in the Death Overs
The match turned during Dhaka’s final 8 overs when they plundered 116 runs, including 81 in the last 5 overs, capitalizing on Sylhet’s disorganized bowling.
Litton Das and Thisara Perera formed a destructive partnership, adding 81 runs off just 28 balls. Sylhet bowler Tipu Sultan’s erratic wides and poor control further eased Dhaka’s scoring. Litton reached his half-century in 38 balls, while Perera smashed 37 off 17 balls.
Sylhet conceded 25 extras, including 16 from wides, the second-highest extras in a BPL match after Dhaka Dynamites’ 27 extras in 2017.
Sylhet’s Struggle with the Chase
Sylhet’s chase started poorly, losing early wickets, including their top scorer Zakir Hasan. Rony Talukdar tried to keep the chase alive with a fluent 68 off 44 balls, supported by Aaron Jones, who scored 36.
Despite a late surge from Zakir Ali (28 off 13) and Ariful Haque (29 off 13), Sylhet couldn’t cross the finish line, falling 6 runs short.
Mustafizur and Perera Steal the Show
Mustafizur Rahman, though expensive, redeemed himself in the final over, while Thisara Perera excelled with both bat and ball, taking 2 wickets and scoring crucial runs to bag the Player of the Match award.
Match Summary
- Dhaka Capitals: 196/6 in 20 overs (Litton 70, Perera 37; Tipu 2/26, Shinwari 2/27)
- Sylhet Strikers: 186/7 in 20 overs (Rony 68, Ariful 29; Mustafizur 2/46, Perera 2/31)
Result: Dhaka Capitals won by 6 runs
Player of the Match: Thisara Perera
