Rajshahi Warriors began their Bangladesh Premier League campaign in emphatic fashion, chasing down a stiff target to defeat Sylhet Titans by eight wickets with two balls to spare in the opening match of the 12th edition at Sylhet on December 26.
After being sent in to bat, Sylhet Titans posted a competitive 190 for 5, built around an outstanding unbeaten knock from Parvez Hossain Emon.
The left-hander struck 65 off just 33 balls, smashing four fours and five sixes to provide late momentum. Earlier, Rony Talukdar anchored the innings with a composed 41, while Saim Ayub (28) and Afif Hossain (33) played impactful cameos.
For Rajshahi, Sandeep Lamichhane was the standout bowler, claiming two wickets for 38 runs, while Binura Fernando and Tanzim Hasan Sakib picked up one wicket apiece.
In reply, Rajshahi produced a commanding chase, led by a magnificent century from captain Najmul Hossain Shanto.
The left-hander remained unbeaten on 101 from 60 deliveries, striking 10 fours and five sixes in a masterclass of controlled aggression.
After early losses of Tanzid Hasan and Sahibzada Farhan, Shanto steadied the innings before launching into the Sylhet attack.
He found able support from wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim, who played a fluent unbeaten knock of 51 off 31 balls. The pair added an unbroken partnership to take Rajshahi home in 19.4 overs.
Sylhet’s bowlers struggled to contain the scoring, with Mohammad Amir (0/30) and Nasum Ahmed (0/33) being the most economical, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz picked up one wicket despite conceding 39 runs.
