On a foggy winter afternoon in Mirpur, Pakistani batter Usman Khan lit up the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) with a scintillating century. His explosive innings not only marked the first century of this season but also powered Chattogram Kings to a commanding 105-run victory over Rajshahi Royals.
On Friday, January 3, Rajshahi’s captain Anamul Haque Bijoy won the toss and opted to field first. Usman unleashed his aggressive batting, reaching his century in just 48 balls. With 6 sixes and 13 fours, he scored an impressive 123 runs off 62 balls.
Riding on Usman’s century, Chattogram posted a massive total of 219 runs for 5 wickets in their allotted 20 overs, the highest team total at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in BPL history. Taskin Ahmed claimed two wickets for Rajshahi.
Chasing a daunting target of 220, Rajshahi suffered an early blow as Sabbir Hossain fell for just 8 runs off 5 balls with the team at 9 runs. Captain Anamul Haque Bijoy and Mohammad Haris tried to steady the innings with a 32-run partnership. However, both departed soon after, with Bijoy scoring 8 off 9 balls and Haris contributing a quick 32 off 15 balls.
Yasir Rabbi and Akbar Ali attempted to rebuild, but Akbar was dismissed for 18 runs off 12 balls. A collapse ensued, with Alauddin Babu and Arafat Sunny wreaking havoc on the Rajshahi batting lineup. Rajshahi lost 6 wickets for just 31 runs and were bowled out for 114 runs in 17.1 overs. Alauddin and Sunny both claimed three wickets each.
This dominant win highlighted the Kings’ strength in both batting and bowling, with Usman’s heroics stealing the show.
