Rangpur beat Khulna by 8 runs in BPL

Rangpur Riders beat Khulna Tigers by eight runs in the Bangladesh Premier league (BPL) at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet on Monday, report agencies.

Akif Javed of Rangpur starred with the ball, claiming 3 wickets for 29 runs in his four overs. Mahedi Hasan took 2 wickets and Mohammad Saifuddin took 2 wicket respectively.

For Khulna, Mohammad Naim, 58 off 41 balls, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 39 off 24 balls and Afif Hossain 29 off 15 contributed well with the bat, but not chase down a target of 186 runs.

Earlier, Khushdil Shah continued his form by hitting 35 ball-73 runs not out, an innings that steered Rangpur Riders to 186-5 against Khulna Tigers.

Rangpur so far remain the only unbeaten side in the tournament, having won all six matches.

After electing to bat first, in what was the last game of the Sylhet phase of BPL, Rangpur made a slow start before Khushdil paced the scoreboard impeccably.

They were reduced to 30-2 in the first powerplay, having lost the wicket of Steven Taylor and Saif Hassan for single digit figure.

Opener Tawfiq Khan and Pakistan veteran Iftikhar Ahmed steadied the innings with 40-run partnership before Abu Haider Rony broke through with the wicket of the former for 36.

Khushdil joined Iftikhar to torment Khulna bowlers by batting with high gear. While Iftikhar played with little caution, Khushdil showed the aggression to make the bowlers disarray.

They added 115-run for the fourth wicket and it was only broken in the penultimate delivery when Hasan Mahmud trapped Iftikhar leg-before for 43 runs.

Khushdil who smote four fours and six sixes stayed unbeaten.