DHAKA, Jan 13, 2025 (BSS)- Rangpur Riders made a giant stride toward the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) playoffs by securing an 8 run victory over Khulna Tigers in a keenly contested game at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium today.

Having won the game, which was their seventh on the trot, they kept the clean sheet in the tournament as only team.

Rangpur rode on Khushdil Shah’s 35 ball-73 not out to post a respectable 186-5 but looked to concede their first defeat in the season when Khulna reached 165-4 in 17 overs, needing only 22 runs for a victory in 18 balls.

Rangpur bowlers held their nerve to inflict a collapse which saw Khulna losing five wickets for just 12 runs to be restricted to 178-9 in 20 overs allocation eventually.

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.

Hasan and Abu Haider Rony took two wickets apiece.

Khulna in reply lost opener Darwish Rasooli cheaply but clawed back into the game, thanks to Naim Sheikh and skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

Together they put on 61-run to keep the side on track, giving Khulna a hope snapping Rangpur’s unbeaten run.

Mohammad Saifuddin broke through with the wicket of Miraz who made 39 off 24 before Mahedi Hasan ended Naim’s vigil. Naim, however, made team-high 58.

The hopes rested on Afif Hossain who responded brilliantly but Mahedi struck again to get rid of him on 29. Afif’s dismissal sparked the collapse as Khulna lost last five wickets for 12 to concede their third straight defeat. They won just two in five matches so far.

Pacer Akif Javed who triggered the collapse ended with 3-29 while Mahedi and Saiffudin picked up two wickets apiece.