Bijoy’s maiden BPL ton in vain as Khulna hold their nerve
Bijoy was unbeaten on 100 off 57 balls. Despite his valiant efforts, Rajshahi fell short, finishing at 202/4.
Durbar Rajshahi's captain, Anamul Haque Bijoy, produced a stunning century, but it was not enough to secure victory in a nail-biting Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) clash on 19 January at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.
Khulna Tigers emerged victorious by 7 runs, thanks to brilliant death bowling from Hasan Mahmud in the final over.
Khulna Tigers, led by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, opted to bat first after winning the toss. Their innings got off to a steady start, with an opening partnership of 42 runs between Miraz and Naim Sheikh.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Naim departed after a quickfire 27 off 14 balls, followed by Miraz, who contributed 26 from 13 deliveries.
Despite losing three wickets during the powerplay, Khulna managed to post 60 runs in the first six overs.
Post-powerplay, Afif Hossain and William Bosisto took charge, stitching together a crucial partnership. Both batters showcased aggression, propelling Khulna's score towards 200. Afif's fluent knock of 56 from 42 balls came to an end, but Bosisto remained steady, scoring 55 off 37 balls.
The innings received a late flourish from Mahidul Islam Ankon, whose unbeaten 30 off just 12 deliveries ensured Khulna finished at a formidable 209/4.
In response, Rajshahi began brightly, with Zisan Alam's blistering 30 off 15 balls setting the tone. Despite losing him early, they reached 61/1 by the end of the powerplay.
However, Mohammad Haris (15 off 15) struggled to capitalise, leaving the onus on Bijoy to steer the chase.
Bijoy played a captain's knock, anchoring the innings with poise and power. He reached his half-century off 33 balls and found support in Ryan Burl, who chipped in with 25 off 16 balls. Together, they kept Rajshahi's hopes alive, but the required run rate continued to climb.
The game boiled down to the final over, with Rajshahi needing 17 runs for victory and Bijoy just 10 runs short of a century. Bijoy started strongly, smashing a boundary off the first delivery and collecting two runs off the next.
A dot ball followed, piling pressure on the Rajshahi skipper. He managed another two runs off the fourth ball, leaving 9 runs needed from the final two deliveries.
Hasan Mahmud then delivered a perfect yorker, which Bijoy chose not to risk, sealing Rajshahi's fate.
With 9 required off the last ball, Bijoy took a single to complete his maiden BPL century, finishing unbeaten on 100 off 57 balls. Despite his valiant efforts, Rajshahi fell short, finishing at 202/4.
Khulna's victory snapped their four-match losing streak and took them to fourth on the points table with three wins in seven games.
Rajshahi, despite having the same number of points, dropped to fifth due to an inferior net run rate.
