Rangpur secured their spot in the final of the tournament with a hard-fought eight-run victory over Dubai at Providence Stadium. The win ensured Rangpur finished in the top two of the group standings, with their final league game against Central Districts now a formality.
Batting first after winning the toss, Rangpur posted 158 for 5 in their 20 overs. The foundation of the innings was built on an unbroken 54-run stand between Iftikhar Ahmed and captain Nurul Hasan Sohan. Iftikhar top-scored with an unbeaten 41 off 32 balls, striking three fours and two sixes, while Sohan finished on 34 not out from just 18 deliveries with three boundaries and two maximums.
Rangpur lost Afghan opener Ibrahim Zadran early for 1 off 3 balls, lbw to Dominic Drakes. Kyle Mayers looked dangerous in his brief stay, hitting 19 off 11 with two sixes and a four before falling to Rohan Mustafa. Soumya Sarkar held the innings together in the middle overs with 36 off 28 balls, including four boundaries, before he was caught off Shakib Al Hasan.
Mahidul Islam Ankon managed 11 off 15 balls and Azmatullah Omarzai was dismissed for 8, leaving Rangpur at 104 for 5 before Iftikhar and Sohan guided them to a competitive total.
In response, Dubai were bowled out for 150 in the final over. Sediqullah Atal provided the main resistance with 38 off 31 deliveries at the top, but the rest of the batting faltered under scoreboard pressure. Sanjay Krishnamurthy made 27, Drakes added 22, Qais Ahmad chipped in with 18 and Jesse Bootan scored 15.
Shakib Al Hasan once again struggled with the bat, falling for just 3. With the ball, however, he was economical, taking 1 for 16 from his four overs. Saif Hassan was the standout among the bowlers with 3 wickets. Khaled Ahmed picked up 2 and the rest of the attack, excluding Tabraiz Shamsi, claimed one wicket each to complete a well-rounded bowling effort.
The victory means Rangpur will contest the final on 18 July, back at Providence.
Match stats:
Venue: Providence Stadium
Result: Rangpur won by 8 runs
Toss: Rangpur won the toss and chose to bat
Rangpur innings – 158/5 (20 overs)
Dubai innings – 150 all out (20 overs)
Player of the Match: Iftikhar Ahmed
Rangpur status: Qualified for the final on 18 July at Providence Stadium