Khulna edge Chattogram to reach the qualifier after Sohan's fifty
With this win, Khulna advanced to face the loser of the Dhaka Metro vs Rangpur match in the second qualifier.
Nurul Hasan Sohan played a crucial innings to keep Khulna's hopes alive in the NCL T20 Tournament.
His fifty, combined with superb bowling performances from Mehedi Hasan and Masum Khan, secured a thrilling seven-run victory over Chattogram in the Eliminator on 21 December at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
The win earned Khulna a spot in the second qualifier, keeping their chances of reaching the final intact.
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Chasing 147, Chattogram's innings faltered early as Khulna's bowlers maintained tight control. Yasir Ali and Nayeem Hasan attempted to revive the chase with a crucial partnership, but Yasir's dismissal in the 16th over off Mehedi effectively ended their hopes.
Nayeem struck a few late boundaries, but Chattogram could only manage 139 for 6, falling short of the target.
Sohan's 52 off 39 balls provided the backbone of Khulna's innings after an early wobble.
Batting first, Khulna lost Anamul Haque in the opening over but recovered with a brisk 44-run stand between Azijul Hakim Tamim and Mohammad Mithun.
Both batters played aggressive cameos, but their dismissals in quick succession put the pressure back on Khulna.
Sohan and Imrul Kayes steadied the innings with a 31-run partnership, though the scoring rate dipped during this phase. Imrul's run-out broke the stand, but Sohan found support from Nahidul Islam, and the pair added valuable runs.
Sohan hit a six off Ahmed Sharif in the 19th over to complete his half-century but fell the very next ball. Sharif and Fahad Hossain excelled in the death overs, restricting Khulna to 146.
In response, Chattogram's top-order struggled to build momentum. Shahadat Hossain played a brief counter-attacking knock, scoring 23 off 14 balls, but lacked support.
The innings stumbled further when Irfan Shukkur fell in the 11th over, leaving Chattogram at 64 for 5. Yasir Ali then took charge, smashing a series of boundaries to bring his team back into contention.
However, Khulna's bowlers held their nerve in the final overs. Mehedi's dismissal of Yasir for 39 was the decisive blow, and Chattogram couldn't recover.
Sharif, who had earlier taken 4 wickets for 26 runs, was unable to replicate his success with the bat.
With this win, Khulna advanced to face the loser of the Dhaka Metro vs Rangpur match in the second qualifier, while Chattogram exited the tournament, finishing fourth.
