All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan’s half-century helped Rangpur Riders win their BPL match over Chattogram Challengers at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Friday (Feb 16).

Rangpur Riders became the first team to qualify for playoffs in the ongoing 10th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League after they beat Chattogram Challengers by 18 runs during their 10th match.

Rangpur all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan yet again starred with the bat as he hit 62 off 39 balls while Mahedi Hasan made a quick-fire 34 off 17 balls as the table-toppers posted 187-8 in 20 overs after they elected to bat first.

Rangpur qualify for BPL playoffsChattogram all-rounder Romario Shepherd claimed 3-27 while Saluddin Sakil and Shohidul Islam took two wickets each for the host team.

Chattogram, in reply, faced the wrath of Rangpur pacer Dwaine Pretorius’s bowling as he took three early wickets to reduce them to 32-3 in the fifth over.

Tom Bruce and Shuvagata Hom were dismissed after making 24 and 21 runs respectively but it was Shepherd who struck an unbeaten 66 off 30 balls with six sixes and five fours in the later part of the innings but Chattogram fell well short of the target as they were restricted to 169-6 in their 20 overs.

Apart from Pretorious’s 3-14, Mahedi also took two wickets for Rangpur.

This was Rangpur’s eighth win in 10 matches and they remained on top of the points table with 14 points after clinching their seventh successive victory in the tournament.

Meanwhile, Chattogram have now lost three matches in a row and they remained in the fifth position with 10 points from 10 matches.

BDST: 1038 HRS, FEB 17, 2024
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