Mithun, who had scored just 58 runs in his previous six innings, and Kayes, with 36 runs in three innings, found form at the right time. Mithun scored 71 runs, while Kayes got 40 runs today.

Youngster Azizul Hakim Tamim (66), who has been a revelation throughout the tournament, continued his stellar run, surpassing expectations yet again.

With contributions from the trio and a strong showing from their bowlers, Khulna secured a vital win against Rangpur by 34 runs. Having managed just one victory in their first four matches, Khulna ended the league stage with three consecutive wins, finishing third with eight points.

Despite losing the match, Rangpur Division, who had already secured a playoff spot, retained their second-place position.

In Thursday’s other match, both Dhaka Division and Barishal Division faced the dual challenge of securing a win and improving their net run rates.

While Dhaka defeated Barishal by 19 runs, it wasn’t enough to secure a playoff berth. Both teams were eliminated as Chattogram Division, despite losing in the morning match, edged through as the fourth team with a net run rate of 0.220 compared to Dhaka’s -0.552.

Khulna will now face Chattogram in the Eliminator, while Dhaka Metro and Rangpur will battle in Qualifier 1. The winner of Qualifier 1 will head straight to the final, while the loser will face the Eliminator winner in Qualifier 2 for another shot at the title.

Playoff Schedule

Eliminator: Khulna vs. Chattogram (Saturday morning)

Qualifier 1: Dhaka Metro (1st) vs. Rangpur (2nd) (Saturday afternoon)

Qualifier 2: Eliminator winner vs. Qualifier 1 loser (Sunday)

Final: Tuesday