Former national player Nasir Hossain starred with both bat and ball as Rangpur returned to winning ways in the NCL T20, defeating the in-form Chattogram by five wickets at the Sylhet International Stadium. This marked Rangpur’s second victory of the tournament.
After losing the toss, Chattogram were asked to bat first in the opening game of the day. Despite a promising start, regular wickets fell at crucial moments, restricting them to 138 runs in 20 overs.
Irfan Shukkur was the standout for Chattogram, remaining unbeaten on 64 off 46 balls, with three sixes and seven fours. Opening batsmen Mominul Haque and Mahmudul Hasan failed to make an impact, adding only 20 runs together. Early wickets from Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Shahadat Hossain Dipu further destabilised the innings. A partnership of 48 runs between Yasir Ali Rabbi and Irfan Shukkur stabilised the total, but Chattogram fell short of posting a challenging target.
Rangpur’s bowlers were led by Abdul Ghaffar Saqline, who claimed three wickets, and Mushfiq Hasan, who took two, keeping Chattogram under pressure throughout their innings.
Chasing 139, Rangpur started shakily, losing Anik Sarkar for six in the third over to Hasan Murad. Nasir Hossain, promoted up the order for the first time in a one-day match in the tournament, joined Zahid Javed to stabilise the innings. The duo put together a crucial 78-run partnership, gradually taking Rangpur closer to the target.
Nasir fell short of a half-century, dismissed for 43 off 32 balls, hitting two sixes and four fours, while Zahid scored 39 before being bowled by Naeem Hasan. Despite these losses, the team crossed 100 runs with the help of key contributions from Abdullah Al Mamun (4) and Naim Islam, who failed to capitalise on their opportunities.
With four wickets down and the innings at a critical stage, captain Akbar Ali (26) and Iqbal Hossain (16*) held their nerve to guide Rangpur to a five-wicket victory with 2.5 overs to spare. Nasir’s all-round performance, combining his early wicket of Soikat Ali in four overs for 38 runs with his aggressive batting, proved decisive.
