Mushfiq's 96 off 51 balls gives Khulna 2nd consecutive win
Khulna Tigers registered their second consecutive win in the ongoing Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) on Tuesday beating Rajshahi Royals by five wickets at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.
Before this win, Khulna won their first match against Chattogram Challengers as well.
Mushfiqur Rahim, the captain of Khulna Tigers, smashed match-winning 96 off 51 with nine fours and four sixes but failed to register his first T20 century.
Khulna won the toss and sent Royals to bat first who posted 189 runs for four in 20 overs.
In reply, Khulna lost both of their openers in quick succession. Najmul Hossain Shanto failed to score any run while Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who hit a fifty in the first game, scored seven this time.
But Rilee Rossouw (42 off 35), Mushfiqur and Shamsur Rahman (29 off 20) did well with the bat to ensure a victory. Mushfiqur and Rossouw added 72 runs in the third wicket, and Mushfiqur and Shamsur posted 61 in the fourth wicket stand. These two partnerships were enough for the Khulna Tigers to sail to the victory.
Khulna needed four runs in the last over. Mushfiqur took a single in the first ball, and Robbie Frlylinck managed another single in the next ball to give Mushfiqur the strike back. But the right-handed wicketkeeper-batsman skied the low and wide full-toss ball off Ravi Bopara, and Shoiab Malik took an easy catch at the deep to dismiss Mushfiqur at 96. However, Frylinck hit a four in the next ball to clinch the win.
Eventually, Khulna scored 192 for five in 19.4 overs, which is now the record of the highest team total in this season of BPL so far.
Andre Russell took two wickets while Kamrul Islam, Afif Hossain and Ravi Bopara bagged one wicket each.
Earlier, Royals posted 189 for four in 20 overs as the BPL resumed at the port city of Chattogram.
Khulna failed to manage a decent start as Hazratullah Zazai fell for one off five balls, and within 26 runs, they lost inform Liton Das as well. While Zazai was removed by Mohammad Amir, Das fell prey to Robbie Frylinck.
They lost the third wicket when Afif Hossain failed to play a short-ball perfectly. He skied the ball, and Shafiul Islam picked up a tremendous catch.
However, in the fourth wicket stand, Shoaib Malik and Ravi Bopara added 106 runs in 61 balls to propel Khulna to a challenging total. Malik smashed 87 off 50 deliveries with eight fours and four sixes.
In the fifth wicket stand, Bopara and Royals’ captain Andree Russell added 17 off 9 balls. Bopara remained unbeaten on 40 while Rusell hit 13 off six balls.
Amir bagged two wickets conceding 36 runs in four overs while Fylinck and Shahidul Islam took one wicket each.
