Rangpur Riders were gradually building momentum in the match, and their supporters had a faint hope of victory. However, Haider Ali shattered those hopes with a brilliant batting display. The Pakistani batter’s outstanding performance has nearly secured Chattogram Kings’ spot in the playoffs.
After sealing the victory, Haider Ali expressed his gratitude, saying, “First and foremost, I thank Allah. Given the situation in which I came to bat, I was able to do what was needed. Losing quick wickets made things difficult, but I focused on my basics.”
The right-handed batter further added, “The required run rate was around 8. My mindset was to capitalize on one or two overs. Once I hit two sixes, I gained momentum and kept it going.”
While most teams have either finished their league-stage matches or have just one remaining, Chattogram Kings still have two more matches left after this one.
When asked if this schedule gives Chattogram an advantage in playoff calculations, Haider Ali responded, “We still have two matches left after today. It’s just the way the schedule is. I don’t think it necessarily benefits us in terms of calculations. Cricket is a mental game—sometimes there are breaks, and sometimes you play back-to-back matches. It’s just like any other game.”
Rangpur Riders had been in dominant form in this BPL, securing the first playoff spot after winning eight consecutive matches. However, their winning streak came to a halt after back-to-back defeats against Durbar Rajshahi, followed by Wednesday’s loss to Chattogram Kings. This means Rangpur has now lost three matches in a row after winning eight straight.
Batting first, Rangpur managed to post a total of 143 runs. In reply, Chattogram Kings chased down the target comfortably, winning by five wickets with 14 balls to spare.
With this victory, Chattogram Kings have taken a significant step toward the playoffs. If Rangpur and Barishal lose all their remaining matches while Chattogram wins all of theirs, they could even qualify directly for the qualifiers.
