Chittagong Kings edge past Khulna Tigers to seal spot in BPL Final
Khaja Nafay scores 57, Cricfrenzy
After recovering from an early batting collapse, Khulna posted a competitive 163 for 6, thanks to late fireworks from Shimron Hetmyer and Mahidul Islam Ankon.
Hetmyer ruled out of Bangladesh ODIs
7 Dec 24
However, Khulna’s bowlers faltered in defending the total. Chittagong raced to 100 for 2, but a double strike from Nasum Ahmed and Musfik Hasan brought Khulna back into contention.
With three consecutive wins under their belt, Khulna was on the verge of a fourth, reducing Chittagong to 170 for 7 after 17 overs. The Kings required 22 runs off the last 2 overs.
Hasan Mahmud bowled brilliantly, conceding just 7 runs in the penultimate over. However, young pacer Musfik couldn’t hold his nerve in the final over, giving away 15 runs, including the match-winning boundary off the last ball.
Batting first after losing the toss, Khulna suffered an early collapse, losing 4 wickets for just 42 runs. Opener and captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz (2), Alex Ross (0), opener Naim Sheikh (19), and Afif Hossain (8) all fell cheaply.
Hetmyer and Ankon steadied the ship with a crucial 73-run partnership. Ankon, known for his aggressive batting in the slog overs, scored 41 off 32 balls, hitting three sixes and a four before getting out. Hetmyer played a blazing knock, smashing 63 off 33 balls with four sixes and six fours, propelling Khulna to a defendable total.
Chittagong’s chase started with early hiccups, losing wickets at 16 and 35. However, Khaja Nafay and Hussain Talat stitched together a solid 70-run partnership, laying the foundation for the chase. Talat scored 40 off 25 balls, hitting five fours and a six, while opener Nafay anchored the innings with 57 off 46 balls, including four fours and three sixes.
The middle order, however, struggled against Khulna’s bowlers, leaving Chittagong in trouble. But the lower order, led by Arafat Sunny and Aliss Al Islam, turned the game around. Arafat contributed a valuable 18 off 13 balls, while Aliss played a crucial cameo, scoring 17 off 7 balls with two fours and a six.
Drama unfolded in the final over when Aliss suffered an injury while attempting a quick run and had to retire hurt. Shoriful Islam came in and smashed a boundary on the fourth ball but was dismissed on the fifth. Aliss returned to the crease just in time to finish the game in style, hitting the winning boundary off the last ball and sealing Chattogram’s place in the final.
