Rangpur Riders confirmed their place in the Bangladesh Premier League play-offs with an 11-run victory over Dhaka Capitals in the first match of the day at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. The win eliminates Dhaka from the tournament and finalises the four play-off teams alongside Rajshahi Warriors, Chattogram Royals, and Sylhet Titans.
After winning the toss, Dhaka Capitals elected to field, sending Rangpur in to bat first. The Riders got off to a solid start, with openers David Malan and Towhid Hridoy putting together a strong partnership. The pair added 50 runs in the first six overs without losing a wicket, setting the tone for the innings.
Malan and Hridoy continued to accelerate, with both reaching half-centuries. Their opening stand yielded 126 runs before Malan fell for 78 off 49 balls. Hridoy added 62 from 46 deliveries before being dismissed at 159 for four, leaving Rangpur slightly under pressure but in a strong position.
Lower-order contributions came from Kyle Mayers, who scored 24 from 16 balls, and Khushdil Shah, who made six from seven deliveries. Rangpur finished on 181 for four from their allotted 20 overs. Mohammad Saifuddin took two wickets for Dhaka, while Taskin Ahmed and Maruf Murddha claimed one each.
Chasing 182, Dhaka Capitals started positively thanks to Usman Khan, who struck 31 from 18 balls. However, early wickets disrupted their innings. Abdullah Al Mamun was out for a golden duck after scoring 18 runs, while Saif Hasan contributed 12 from six balls. By the end of the powerplay, Dhaka had lost three wickets for 53 runs.
Subsequent batting from Sabbir Rahman and captain Mohammad Mithun provided brief hope, but both were unable to maintain momentum. Mithun scored 25 from 29 balls, while Shamim Hossain Patwari added 10 from 11 deliveries. Saifuddin and Imad Wasim gave Dhaka a late push, but the required run rate proved too high.
In the final over, Dhaka needed 31 runs but managed only 19, finishing on 170 all out. Saifuddin top-scored with 58 from 30 balls. For Rangpur, Nahid Rana was the standout bowler with three wickets for 11 runs, while Fahim Ashraf took two. Mustafizur Rahman and Rakibul Hasan claimed one wicket each.
