Rajshahi roared back to form in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as they thumped Sylhet Strikers by 65 runs on Friday, January 17. The victory came after resolving a temporary financial crisis that had disrupted the team’s momentum.
At the start of the Chattogram phase of the BPL, Rajshahi’s players had boycotted practice due to unpaid salaries. The issue was highlighted in the media, prompting the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to pressure the franchise management to pay 25% of the players’ dues.
Buoyed by the partial payment, Rajshahi players took the field in high spirits. After winning the toss and opting to bat first, they posted a competitive total of 184/7 in 20 overs. In response, Sylhet crumbled under pressure, managing only 119 in 17.3 overs.
Chasing a target of 185, Sylhet’s batting faltered, with only three players reaching double figures. Zakir Hasan, currently second in the tournament’s top-scorer race with 290 runs from seven innings, top-scored with 39. Zakir trails Dhaka Capitals’ Tanzid Hasan, who leads with 308 runs from eight matches.
Jaker Ali contributed 31 runs off 20 balls, including three sixes, while George Munsey scored 20 runs. However, most Sylhet batters failed to make an impact, leaving the team far from their target.
For Rajshahi, left-arm spinner Sanjamul Islam took 3 wickets, while Taskin Ahmed, Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, and Aftab Alam chipped in with two wickets each.
Earlier, batting first at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Rajshahi were powered by Ryan Burl’s top score of 41 and captain Anamul Haque Bijoy’s 32. Left-arm pacer Reuel Mia was the pick of the bowlers for Sylhet, claiming 3 wickets.
With this victory, Rajshahi now stands fourth on the points table with 6 points, while Sylhet languishes in sixth place with just 4 points from seven matches.
