Shariful’s Record-Breaking Spell, Khaled’s All-Round Show Propel Chattogram to Playoffs
Chattogram Kings have stormed into the playoffs with a dominant win over Sylhet Strikers, thanks to a record-breaking bowling display from Shariful Islam and an all-round performance from Syed Khaled Ahmed.
With the match all but decided, a friendly rivalry unfolded between Chattogram’s two pacers, both eyeing a five-wicket haul. Both Shariful and Khaled had picked up four wickets each, with Khaled even getting a chance for a hat-trick—but he couldn’t capitalize. Shariful then got his own shot at five wickets in the next over but missed out as well. Instead, he ended Sylhet’s innings with a direct throw for a run-out. Both bowlers finished with identical figures of 4 wickets each.
But there was no reason for either of them to feel disappointed—their job was done. Chattogram Kings crushed Sylhet Strikers by 96 runs, securing their place in the playoffs.
Returning to the BPL after nearly a decade, Chattogram Kings have made an instant impact. If they beat Fortune Barishal on Saturday, they could secure a top-two finish and a spot in the first qualifier.
For Sylhet, this defeat was a fitting end to a disastrous campaign. Last season’s runners-up finished at the bottom with just two wins in 12 matches.
At the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium on Thursday, Chattogram set a target of 197 before bundling out Sylhet for just 100 runs.
Shariful Shines, Khaled Impresses
Shariful Islam was the star of the match, taking 4 wickets for just 5 runs—the most economical four-wicket haul in BPL history.
Khaled, who isn’t known as an all-rounder, also made a strong case for the Man of the Match award. Before his brilliant bowling spell, he played a crucial cameo, scoring 25 off 12 balls.
Early Wickets Shake Chattogram
Chattogram lost two quick wickets after being put into bat. Parvez Hossain Emon, who had shown signs of form in the previous match, fell cheaply for 1 in the first over off Tanzim Hasan Sakib.
Tanzim then struck again, removing Chattogram’s key batter Graham Clark (1) in the next over. The English batter, who scored a century two weeks ago, has now failed to cross fifty in his last six innings.
Nafe’s Fireworks, Mithun’s Class
Playing his first match of the season, opener Khawaja Nafe counter-attacked immediately. He smashed sixes off Ruyel Miah and Tanzim in back-to-back overs. Within just 14 balls, he raced to 35 runs, hitting four sixes.
Once captain Mohammad Mithun joined him at the crease, the runs started flowing even more freely. By the 10th over, Chattogram had crossed 100 runs, thanks to Mithun’s back-to-back sixes off Nahidul Islam.
Nafe reached his fifty in 27 balls, making a statement after a disappointing 2023 BPL campaign, where he scored only 13 runs in three matches for Chattogram Challengers. His innings of 52 off 30 balls, featuring five sixes, ended when he mistimed a pull shot off Samiullah Shinwari.
Mithun, on the other hand, registered his first fifty of the season, scoring 52 off 38 balls with three sixes. Before this, he had crossed 20 runs in six innings but never managed to convert it into a half-century.
Their 94-run partnership came off just 51 balls.
Shamim & Khaled Finish Strong
After Haider Ali (9) and Rahatul Ferdous (4) fell cheaply, Chattogram’s scoring rate slowed down. Between the 10th and 16th over, they managed only 34 runs.
But in the final four overs, Shamim Hossain and Khaled Ahmed turned things around with a blistering 61-run partnership off 30 balls.
Shamim scored 38 off 23 balls before falling in the last over.
Khaled, surprisingly, played a gem of an innings. His previous highest T20 score was just 14, but he smashed 25 off 13 balls, hitting two sixes and two fours, helping Chattogram reach 196.
Sylhet’s Collapse
Given their poor form in the tournament, Sylhet were never really in the chase. They lost wickets at regular intervals, and not a single batter could cross 20 runs.
Under-19 opener Jawad Abrar dragged a Shariful delivery onto his stumps for just 2 runs. After that, Sylhet kept losing wickets at an alarming rate.
Zakir Hasan (19 off 12) and Jaker Ali (17 off 23) were the only ones who put up some resistance, but their efforts weren’t enough.
Sylhet struggled their way to 100 before getting bowled out in 15.2 overs.
Match Summary:
- Chattogram Kings: 196/8 in 20 overs (Nafe 52, Mithun 52, Shamim 38, Khaled 25*; Tanzim 3/37, Shinwari 2/36)
- Sylhet Strikers: 100 all out in 15.2 overs (Zakir 19, Jaker 17; Shariful 4/5, Khaled 4/31)
Result: Chattogram Kings won by 96 runs.
Man of the Match: Shariful Islam
