Rangpur Riders notched their third win in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) season on Tuesday, defeating Comilla Victorians by eight runs in Sylhet.
In the final two overs, the Victorians faced a formidable task-36 runs off 12 balls. Despite some powerful hitting by Jaker Ali, including two consecutive sixes off Shakib Al Hasan, they fell short.
Shakib had 29 runs to defend in the last over, and he delivered. He conceded a single off the first ball, and in the next two balls, Victorians lost two wickets. Although Jaker scored 18 runs off the last three balls, it wasn’t enough for them.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Rangpur posted a challenging total of 165 runs for five wickets. Babar Azam top-scored with 37, while Azmatullah Omarzai contributed 36. Raymon Reifer took two wickets for the Victorians.
In response, Victorians suffered an early setback with the loss of Litton Das in the first over for a first-ball duck. Mahidul Islam Ankon steadied the ship with a half-century, and Towhid Hridoy played well until the last over. However, their efforts were in vain as the Victorians couldn’t keep up with the soaring asking rate.
Azmatullah Omarzai took two wickets for the Riders. Despite concerns about his eye issue, Shakib bowled four overs, conceding over 10 runs per over but managing to take a wicket.
With this victory, Rangpur Riders climbed to the top three of the points table. They now have three wins in four matches, while the Victorians, the current BPL champions, suffered two defeats alongside two wins in four matches, placing them at number four in the points table. As of this match, Khulna Tigers and Chattogram Challengers lead the points table with 8 points each.
