CHATTOGRAM, Jan 17, 2025 (BSS) - Rangpur Riders continued its juggernaut in the Bangladesh Premier League, having sealed eighth straight victory when they defended a moderate total with incredible ease to beat Chittagong Kings by 33 runs at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium here.

Pakistan recruit Khushdil Shah hammered a 28 ball-59 in a match where no could hit even 40 to pave the platform and thereafter his compatriot Akif Javed claimed 4-28 to hand Chittagong their second defeat in sixth match.

Chittagong Kings eventually were restricted to 131-8 after chasing the target of 165.

Put into bat first, Rangpur made a shaky start but rode on Khushdil’s rapid knock to amass 164-7. Youngster Towfique Khan Tushar was out on 5 and Steven Taylor found it tough to rotate the scoreboard as Rangpur made a forgettable start. 

Saif Hassan, who was in good touch, also found the wicket tougher to play his shots. To make the matter worse Aliss Al Islam picked up Saif Hasan and Naeem Islam got the better of Taylor to leave Rangpur at just 67-3 in 10.2 overs.

Taylor made 39 but played 32 balls and hit two fours. 

However, Arafat Sunny compounded Rangpur’s woes further, taking out inform Iftikhar Ahmed for 3. 

Khushdil then took the game on his head to keep Rangpur flowing and seemed to play on different surface. In a pitch where everyone got it tougher to go on, Khushdil played his shots at will to make the bowlers disarray.

He got little support from other end but that mattered little as he single-handedly drove the side to 150 plus. He smote two fours and seven sixes in his knock.

Aliss Al Islam and Mohammad Wasim took two wickets apiece for Chittagong.

Chittagong received a massive setback when left-arm spinner Rakibul Hasan removed Usman Khan for a first ball-duck. His fellow opener Parvez Hossain Emon hammered a whirlwind 14 ball-26 but Akif got into act with the wicket of him to further derail Chittagong.

In his next over, Akif got the better of Graham Clark (23) who made a century against Khulna Tigers just 24 hours ago. Clark’s dismissal left Chittagong at 53-4 in seventh over and effectively ruined their hopes of snapping Rangpur’s dream-run.

Shamim Patwari and Naeem Islam then shared 53-run partnership for the fifth wicket but asking run rate climbed up such alarmingly that Chittagong’s defeat was ensured long before the game was ended.

Patwari top-scored the side with 38 off 31, hitting one four and three sixes while Naeem made 19.
After his superb knock with the willow, Khushdil took two lower order wickets, giving away 23 runs.