After Shakib’s fastest fifty, Khulna were bowled over by Tahir’s spin – 2024-02-14 00:59:53

Whatever the bowling, Shakib Al Hasan could not shine in the batting. But as the BPL draws to a close, his bat seems to be getting wider! The left-handed batsman played an important role in taking the team’s score past two hundred by scoring the fastest half-century of the season against Khulna Tigers at Zahoor Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong. After setting a tough target of 220 runs with his bat, legspinner Imran Tahir produced a whirlwind performance that bowled Khulna.

Rangpur won by 78 runs by stopping Enamul Haque Vijay’s team for 141 runs. With this win, they are at the top of the table with 14 points.

Both matches were high scoring on the first day in Chittagong. Both teams crossed the 200 mark in the first innings. While climbing the mountain of runs, the batting team lost in the second innings but the opponent batsmen had no problem scoring runs. It can be said that what Dhaka and Sylhet could not do, Chittagong has made it possible. The visitors of Chittagong can fully enjoy the four-six Dhumdharakka cricket.

Despite losing quick wickets at the target, Khulna’s run wheel was in motion due to Alex Hales’ batting rampage. However, after coming down to play for such a big target, the three top-order batsmen Evin Lewis (11), Vijay (5) and Afif Hossain (11) returned quickly. Still Hales kept trying. But after playing an innings of 60 runs in 33 balls with 7 fours and 3 sixes, Khulna basically got knocked out of the match. The team that was on top at the beginning won four consecutive matches and was all out before the 150 due to the failure of the top order and middle order. With this, Khulna saw their fourth loss in a row. The second highest 20 runs for them came from the bat of Luke Wood. Khulna has no option to win the remaining matches to play the playoffs.

Among Rangpur’s bowlers, Tahir alone took five wickets. He spent 26 runs. Shakib took two wickets with 30 runs. Besides, Sheikh Mehdi, Jimmy Neesham and Hasan Mahmud took one wicket each. Khulna was tied by a few runs and the man of the match award went to Tahir.

Earlier, after winning the toss, the Rangpur captain decided to bat. But Rangpur was uncomfortable in the beginning. At the end of the first two overs, their runs were 9 for 1. Rony Talukder departs with Wood’s ball. Shakib basically opened his hand from the third over. He hit two sixes in the last two balls. Wood also returned Riza Hendricks in the next over.

Shakib did not stop even after 2 wickets fell for 24 runs. In the sixth over, Nasum scored 26 runs off 6 balls with 3 sixes and 2 fours. Then he hit a four off the 20th ball of his own game, the 12th fifty of the BPL chapter. Which is the fastest in the current BPL and Shakib’s first half century. Lewis’ 21-ball half-century against Fortune Barisal on January 22 was the fastest of the season. Shakib set this record in front of the West Indies batter on Tuesday.

Shakib made a partnership of 109 runs from 48 balls for the third wicket with Mehdi. After losing 2 wickets for 24 runs in 3.2 overs, they tied the pair. Shakib’s presence Mehedi also played with open hands. He wrote an innings of 60 runs in 36 balls with 6 fours and 4 sixes. In the end, Nurul Hasan Sohan’s cameo of 32 runs from 13 balls made Rangpur Riders a challenging collection of 219 runs.

Among the Khulna bowlers, Wood took three wickets for 19 runs. Besides, Nahid Rana and Nasum Ahmed took one wicket each.