Chattogram: Captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz led from the front as Khulna Tigers kept its Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) hopes alive with a six-wicket win over Sylhet Strikers at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium here today. Chasing a victory target of 153, after Sylhet were restricted to a modest 152-9, Miraz spearheaded the charge with a 50-ball 70, steering the side to its fourth victory in nine matches, with one ball to spare. The victory propelled Khulna to the fourth place in the standings.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Miraz shared a crucial 65-run opening stand with Naim Sheikh, who contributed 20 runs before falling to Nihaduzzman. Shamiullah Shinwari added pressure by dismissing Afif Hossain for just 3, but Miraz, who hit eight fours and two sixes, ensured Khulna regained momentum. Although Miraz was eventually dismissed by Nihaduzzman, who took 2-25, he had already placed his team in a strong position to clinch the game.
Following Miraz’s departure, Alex Ross (23) and William Bosisto (19) guided Khulna to victory, with Bosisto sealing the win with a six, bringing the score to 156-4. Earlier in the match, Sylhet Strikers, despite a promising start, ended with a subpar total. Choosing to bat first, they lost opener Rony Talukdar in the opening over but recovered through George Munsey and Zakir Hasan’s contributions.
Munsey, who top-scored for Sylhet with 58 off 32 balls, and Zakir, who added 44 off 32, shared a rapid 74-run partnership that initially set the stage for a formidable total. Munsey was particularly aggressive, targeting Khulna captain Miraz and pacer Hasan Mahmud for runs. However, Abu Haider Rony’s dismissal of Munsey triggered a collapse, with Sylhet losing eight wickets for just 77 runs over 12.2 overs.
Rony, Hasan, and Salman Irshad each claimed two wickets, dismantling the middle order and tail to set Khulna on the path to victory.