Rangpur Riders and Rajshahi Warriors were inseparable after a dramatic finish in the second match of the day in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), with the contest eventually being decided in a super over.
Powered by outstanding batting from David Malan and Towhid Hridoy, Rangpur looked firmly on course for victory for most of the chase. However, late twists turned the match on its head, with neither side able to force a result in the regulation 20 overs.
Batting first, Rajshahi posted 159 for eight in their allotted overs. In reply, Rangpur matched the total exactly, finishing on 159 for six to push the game into a super over.
Rangpur’s chase began unsteadily, as opener Litton Kumar Das was dismissed for 16 off 11 balls. The innings was then revived by a superb second-wicket partnership between Malan and Hridoy, who added 100 runs together to put Rangpur firmly in control. Both batters reached their half-centuries, but Hridoy fell soon after, departing for 53.
The late overs brought mounting pressure. Kyle Mayers managed just nine, Khushdil Shah scored seven, Nurul Hasan added six, and Mahmudullah Riyad was run out off the final ball. Malan, however, remained unbeaten on 65 after completing his fifty.
Earlier, Rajshahi made a shaky start with the bat, losing opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim for two in the second over. Despite being reduced to 12 for one, they recovered strongly through a 93-run stand between captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Shahibzada Farhan.
Shanto was run out for 41 off 30 balls, breaking the partnership, while Farhan went on to complete his half-century off 34 deliveries. He eventually scored 65 from 46 balls but found little support from the rest of the batting line-up. Failures from Mushfiqur Rahim and Yasir Ali meant Rajshahi could not fully capitalise on their solid platform.
