DHAKA, Feb 10, 2024 (BSS) - While chasing a huge target, Chattogram Challengers opener Shykat Ali couldn't hit a boundary until 11th over, an approach that raised a question after the side's 53-run defeat to Rangpur Riders today in a Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) match at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

Rangpur posted a huge 211-3, the season's first 200 plus total, riding on the half-centuries from Reeza Hendricks (58) and James Neesham (51 not out). 

Chattogram were expected to make a rapid start in chase of the huge target but surprisingly Shykat Ali, who was sent to open the innings, tried to hold together the innings, rather going after the bowler.

The opener was 17 off 29 at one phase and couldn't hit any boundary until the 11th over. He though was the top-scorer of the side with 63 off 45, most of his runs came when Chattogram's defeat was literally ensured.

"I was opening the innings for the first time today. I was just searching a momentum. The plan was that Josh Brown will go after the bowlers. However Shakib Al Hasan and Mahedi Hasan were bowling so well in that period. So when both Brown and Tom Bruce got out, I went slowly," Shykat said, replying to query about his batting approach.

"I tried not to throw my wicket. I was just waiting for the momentum," he said, adding that the momentum came for him, the match was already out of reach. 

Shykat scored 22 runs in an over, however, that just reduced the margin of the defeat. Coming to open the innings, he finally got out in 19th over.

Shykat who raised half-century off 42 balls, hit one four and six sixes in his innings.

Shykat opened the innings in place of Tanzid Hasan Tamim, the regular opener who was out of the squad. Chattogram indeed came to this with four specialist batters. Even their best batter Najibullah Zadran was also not in the squad.
 
"We thought the wicket will be bowling friendly and therefore we bolstered out bowling. Najibullah was slightly injured so Curtis Campher replaced him. Ahead of the match, we decided to bolster the squad with pace bowlers. But if you count, there are more batters than four in the team," he explained. 

"Actually Rangpur bowlers bowled well. We have tried our best but when we lost three wickets quickly, we had to go slow."

Apart from the blunder in batting, Rangpur's ground fielding was also wayward. While putting down a number of catches, their fielders conceded at least five boundaries which could be saved easily.