Hazratullah Zazai fumbled the ball near the boundary line. What should have been a single quickly turned into two as Mushfiqur Rahim and Najmul Hossain sprinted hard between the wickets. As soon as Najmul touched the striker’s crease, he broke into a longer run, raised his bat, and kissed it in celebration—a moment that followed soon after.
That celebration marked Najmul’s century. It became even more special as it sealed his team’s victory. Remaining unbeaten on 101, Najmul walked off after guiding Rajshahi Warriors to an emphatic 8-wicket win over Sylhet Titans.
The century carried extra significance for Najmul. In the previous BPL season, he featured in just five matches for Fortune Barishal and spent much of the tournament facing criticism and boos.
At the Sylhet International Stadium, Najmul came in to bat with Rajshahi in trouble at 43 for 2 while chasing 190. He stayed till the end, forming an unbroken 130-run partnership off 71 balls with Mushfiqur Rahim and finishing the chase with two balls to spare. His 101 came off 60 balls and included 10 fours and five sixes. It was Najmul’s third T20 century.
Mushfiqur Rahim also played a crucial role in Rajshahi’s convincing win. The wicketkeeper-batter, who went unsold in the first call of the auction, scored a fluent 51 off 31 balls. It was his boundary that ultimately confirmed Rajshahi’s victory.
After the first innings, however, it felt like the stage had been set for Parvez Hossain. Batting first after losing the toss, Sylhet pushed their total close to 200 largely due to his efforts. Coming in at number four, Parvez lit up the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, thrilling nearly 18,000 spectators with a flurry of fours and sixes.
Building on an opening stand of 36 off 25 balls, Parvez went on to score an unbeaten 65 from 33 deliveries, striking four fours and five sixes. But in the end, despite Parvez setting the platform, it was Najmul who emerged as the hero.
Brief Scorecard
- Sylhet Titans: 190/5 in 20 overs (Parvez 65*, Rony 41, Afif 33, Saim 28; Lamichhane 2/28, Binura 1/31).
- Rajshahi Warriors: 192/2 in 19.4 overs (Najmul 101*, Mushfiq 51*; Khaled 1/30).
Result: Rajshahi Warriors won by 8 wickets.
Man of the Match: Najmul Hossain.
