Khaled Ahmed produced a devastating spell with the ball on Tuesday to put Sylhet Titans firmly in command against Rangpur Riders in the Bangladesh Premier League eliminator at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
On a night dominated by Sylhet’s bowlers, it was the local pacer Khaled who stood out, dismantling Rangpur’s batting with figures of 4 for 15 as the Riders were bowled down to 111 for 9 in a do-or-die match.
After Sylhet captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz won the toss and elected to field, Khaled set the tone early with pace, accuracy and movement. Rangpur’s batters were never allowed to settle as wickets fell at regular intervals, creating constant pressure from both ends.
Rangpur lost four of their top batters inside the first 29 runs, with Towhid Hridoy, Dawid Malan, Litton Das and Kyle Myers all dismissed for single-digit scores. Khaled’s probing lines and sharp bounce played a central role in breaking the backbone of the innings.
A brief counter-attack came from Khushdil Shah, who struck 30 from 19 balls, but Khaled returned to ensure Rangpur could not build sustained momentum. Mahmudullah Riyad attempted to repair the innings with a measured 33 from 26 balls, supported briefly by Nurul Hasan Sohan, but the damage had already been done.
While Chris Woakes and Nasum Ahmed offered excellent support, claiming two wickets apiece for 15 and 12 runs respectively, it was Khaled who dictated the terms of the innings. His ability to strike at key moments ensured Rangpur were constantly chasing stability that never arrived.
By the end of the 20 overs, Rangpur were left with a total well below par in a knockout contest, largely due to Khaled’s incisive spell on his home ground.
