Rangpur Riders first to secure play-offs

Both teams were on a winning streak. Rangpur Riders had been undefeated in seven matches, while Chittagong Kings had won their last four out of five games. However, playing their first match at home, Chittagong's winning run ended with a 33-run defeat to the still-unbeaten Rangpur Riders.

Courtesy of a whirlwind knock by Pakistani batsman Khushdil Shah and stellar bowling by pacer Akif Javed, Rangpur secured their eighth consecutive win, becoming the first team to qualify for the play-offs.

The Jahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium saw an overwhelming wave of support for the home team, Chittagong Kings. Despite the electric crowd, Rangpur Riders got off to a shaky start, losing four wickets for just 69 runs. Chittagong's spin trio – Aliss Al Islam, Naeem Islam, and Arafat Sunny – bagged those wickets collectively. But the innings seemed to restart after that, and the credit goes to Khushdil Shah.

Having played two prior seasons of the BPL for Comilla Victorians, where he left a significant mark, the Pakistani cricketer with experience in 10 ODIs and 27 T20Is continues his consistent form for Rangpur this season. In eight matches, he has scored 274 runs in six innings with a phenomenal strike rate of 197.12 and an average of 91.33. Currently the third-highest run-scorer of the tournament, Khushdil's strike rate is unmatched among the top three. He also tops the six-hitting chart with 23 sixes in the season.

In the previous match in Sylhet, Khushdil smashed an unbeaten 73 runs off 35 balls against Khulna Tigers. His onslaught continued in Chittagong as well. Partnering with skipper Nurul Hasan, Khushdil stabilised the innings with a 41-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Coming in at number five, he reached his fifty off 26 balls and ended with 59 runs from 28 balls, hitting four fours and seven sixes – all but one of those sixes coming from just two overs.

Khushdil started cautiously but unleashed his aggressive side in the 15th over. Facing left-arm pacer Maruf Mridha, he hammered three consecutive sixes. The 18th over was a nightmare for his compatriot pacer Mohammad Wasim, who conceded 25 runs, including three towering sixes and a boundary off Khushdil. However, Wasim managed to dismiss Khushdil on the final ball of that over, forcing a miscued pull that resulted in a high catch he claimed himself. Clearly irked by the pounding, Wasim vented his frustration by slamming the ball onto the ground.

While Chittagong's longer boundaries presented a tougher challenge compared to Sylhet's compact ground, the pitch here was similarly batting-friendly. A 165-run target, requiring just over eight runs per over, should not have been overly daunting for the Kings. Even more so, with Rangpur resting their pacer Nahid Rana for the first time in seven games. Yet, the formidable bowling of Akif Javed ensured Rangpur extended their winning streak seamlessly.

After conceding 16 runs in his first five deliveries, Akif responded magnificently, taking four wickets for just 16 runs off his next 21 deliveries. Earlier, Rangpur's Rakibul Hasan provided a strong start by dismissing Chittagong opener Usman Khan off the very first ball. By the seventh over, Chittagong had lost three more wickets with just 53 runs on the board.

Naeem Islam and Shamim Hossain managed a 53-run stand for the fifth wicket but failed to accelerate the scoring. Gradually, Chittagong's chase began slipping away. They ended with 131 for 8, 33 runs short of the target.

Rangpur's Akif Javed stole the spotlight with his four wickets, and Khushdil Shah contributed with the ball as well, claiming two wickets for just two runs with his left-arm spin. Such an all-round performance left little room for doubt in choosing the Player of the Match.