Soumya stars as Khulna shrug off Sylhet despite Babu’s late onslaught
On a match filled with controversies and drama, Khulna Tigers clinched a 15-run win over Sylhet Sunrisers in the night game of the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in Sylhet today.
When all hopes seemed to have faded for Sylhet, Alauddin Babu, in at number eight, struck three consecutive sixes to pacer Kamrul Islam Rabbi to bring down the equation to 18 off the last three balls but the right-arm seamer held his nerves and eventually Sylhet ended up on 167 for six while chasing to surpass Khulna's total of 182.
Babu remained unbeaten on 25 off just seven balls, striking three sixes and a four, with Mosaddek Hossain unbeaten after a 22-ball 39.
Wicket-keeper opener Anamul Haque struck 47 off 33 balls at the start to give his side the stable platform and Collin Ingram, at one-down, contributed with 37 off 28 balls but Sylhet was stifled by Soumya Sarkar and Thisara Perera post-Powerplay, after which the Sunrisers kept wickets at regular intervals. Soumya and Perera each scalped two wickets as well.
Earlier, Soumya Sarkar and Mushfiqur Rahim shined with the bat to guide Khulna to a fighting total of 182 for 3 after being sent in to bat first.
Soumya remained unbeaten on 82 off 62 balls, striking four sixes and four boundaries, while Mushfiqur was not out on 62 off 38 balls as the pair stitched an unbeaten 136-run stand for the fourth wicket.
The game was full of drama and controversies had surrounded the Sylhet side as they started with the change in captaincy just minutes before the toss. Mosaddek, who led the side for the first six games, was replaced by Ravi Bopara.
Bopara was later caught ball-tampering while bowling and the act was noticed immediately by the on-field umpires, who changed the ball while penalising Sylhet with five runs for the offence.
With four wins in seven games, Khulna is now behind Comilla Victorians with nine points while Sylhet continue to head downhill in BPL, having faced their fifth defeat in seven matches.