Adam Rossington delivered a sensational all-round performance in front of and behind the stumps as Chattogram Royals crushed Dhaka Capitals in dominant fashion.
During the pitch report, commentator Farvez Maharoof said, “Great batting-friendly wicket, 170–180 should be a good score.” After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, Dhaka captain Mohammad Mithun spoke about their intention to post a big total. But from the very start of the match, the picture was completely different. Dhaka’s batters struggled badly against the disciplined bowling of Shariful Islam, Tanvir Islam, and company.
That the pitch truly was a batting paradise became evident in the second half of the match. Chattogram chased down Dhaka’s modest 122-run total with ease, as openers Mohammad Naim Sheikh and Adam Rossington blew the target away without breaking a sweat.
In Friday’s first BPL match, Chattogram Royals thrashed Dhaka Capitals by 10 wickets — the first 10-wicket victory of this season.
Naim remained unbeaten on 54 off 40 balls, registering his first fifty of the tournament. He is the only cricketer in this season to earn a crore taka at the auction. At the other end, Rossington stayed not out on a blazing 60 from just 36 deliveries.
Before unleashing fireworks with the bat, Rossington had already made headlines behind the stumps. The Chattogram wicketkeeper created history by effecting four stumpings in a single innings — a world record and the first such feat in BPL history.
Two of Rossington’s stumpings came off Tanvir Islam’s bowling and the other two off Sheikh Mehedi Hasan. Tanvir was exceptional, picking up three wickets for just eight runs in four overs. Shariful Islam also impressed with the new ball, claiming three wickets including those of Dhaka’s two openers.
Dhaka’s misery began right from the opening over. Saif Hassan threw his wicket away with a poor shot off Shariful’s bowling. After scores of 1 and 9 in his previous two matches, Bangladesh’s T20 captain was dismissed for just 1 again.
At the other end, Zubaid Akbari looked completely out of sorts, almost like a novice at the crease. The Afghan batter managed only 2 runs off 12 balls.
Coming in at number three, Usman Khan attempted to counterattack but was undone by Tanvir’s spin and another sharp stumping by Rossington. His innings ended at 21 off 15 balls.
Shamim Hossain, who had smashed a brilliant 81 off 43 balls in the previous match, also fell cheaply this time, scoring just 4 off 7 balls — once again due to Rossington’s lightning-quick work.
Captain Mithun failed to steady the innings as well, scoring only 8 off 12 balls. Sabbir Rahman hit a six off Sheikh Mehedi but then gifted his wicket away, making 9 off 8 balls. Rossington completed his record-breaking fourth stumping by dismissing Imad Wasim, who also scored 9 off 8.
At 66 for 7, Dhaka were in complete disarray.
A brief recovery came through a partnership between Nasir Hossain and Mohammad Saifuddin, who added 48 runs in six overs to take the team past the 100-run mark. Nasir was dismissed for 17 off 20 balls.
Saifuddin remained unbeaten on 33 off 25 balls, pushing Dhaka’s total to 122.
At the break, commentator Ramiz Raja suggested that the match might still be competitive at this score. But Naim and Rossington paid no heed to Dhaka’s bowling attack, effortlessly guiding their team toward victory.
Rossington did offer one chance when he was on 24, but Imad failed to hold on to the catch off Saifuddin’s bowling. After that, the two openers gave no further opportunities.
Naim reached his fifty off 34 balls, while Rossington got there in just 31 deliveries. The duo completed the chase with 44 balls to spare.
In Chattogram’s previous match, Rossington had arrived in Sylhet on the morning of the game and struggled both with the bat and gloves later that day. This time, he more than made up for it with a match-winning performance, earning the Player of the Match award.
Brief Scores
- Dhaka Capitals: 122 in 19.4 overs
(Saif Hassan 1, Akbari 2, Usman 21, Mithun 8, Shamim 4, Sabbir 9, Imad 9, Nasir 17, Saifuddin 33*; Shariful 4-0-18-3, Mukidul 3.4-0-32-0, Jamal 3-0-22-1, Tanvir 4-0-8-3, Mehedi 4-0-34-2) - Chattogram Royals: 123/0 in 12.4 overs
(Naim 54*, Rossington 60*)
Result: Chattogram Royals won by 10 wickets
Player of the Match: Adam Rossington
