Published on 03:31 PM, January 08, 2019

Zazai changes the trend

Dhaka 192/6 (Zazai 57, Rony 28, Stirling 2/2, Wiese 2/24); Khulna 87/9 (Junaid 31, Shakib 3/18, Narine 2/20)

Skipper Shakib Al Hasan celebrate a wicket. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Shakib Al Hasan's Dhaka Dynamites overhauled Mahmudullah Riyad's Khulna Titans in the fifth match of the BPL this year, winning by 105 runs at Mirpur's Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

The early afternoon games did not produce big runs so far in the tournament, however Dhaka opener Hazratullah Zazai's changed the trend with his aggressive approach. He stood out among the batters with a swashbuckling 36-ball 57 with three fours and five sixes. He lamped youngster Shoriful Islam for three fours and three sixes in the fifth over as Dhaka started brilliantly, picking up 72 runs in the Powerplay. Sunil Narine (19) fell at the last over of the Powerplay but Rony Talukdar joined Zazai at the crease and kept the big-hitting going. The right-hander struck an 18-ball 28 before falling to Mahmudullah. Zazai had the stroke of luck too when the ball appeared to perhaps take his glove on the way to the wicket-keeper. The review was taken by Khulna but replays remained inconclusive.

Zazai and skipper Shakib (0) fell off back-to-back deliveries but Andre Russell (25) and Kieron Pollard (27) helped Dhaka post 192 for six.

In reply, Khulna never got going as Shakib struck early with the ball, removing openers Stirling and Junaid Siddique while Jahurul Islam fell to Narine. Mahumudullah (8) fell to Shuvagata Hom trying to hit big and then Shakib came back to pick up the wicket of David Wiese to finish with three wickets in the match. With the last batsman Ali Khan absent hurt, Dynamites won the match after Khulna went down by nine wickets.