With this win, Chattogram moved to 10 points from seven matches to sit alone at the summit, while Rajshahi remained fourth with eight points from six games.
Batting first after losing the toss at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Rajshahi got off to a steady start as openers Tanzid Hasan and Mohammad Wasim added 21 runs.
However, a collapse followed, with Rajshahi losing five wickets for 72 runs. Neither the middle nor lower order could provide resistance, and no significant partnerships developed.
The sixth-wicket stand between SM Meherob and Akbar Ali, worth 19 runs, was the second-highest of the innings. Late contributions from Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Sandeep Lamichhane added 17 runs for the ninth wicket, helping Rajshahi reach a modest 128 for five in 20 overs.
Wasim and Meherob top-scored with 19 each, while Akbar Ali made 17, Mushfiqur Rahim 15, and Tanzim remained unbeaten on 14. For Chattogram, Amer Jamal took three wickets, while Shoriful Islam and Tanvir Islam claimed two apiece.
In reply, Chattogram’s chase stumbled early as they lost four wickets for just 28 runs, thanks to fine spells from Binura Fernando and Meherob.
The innings was revived by Pakistan batter Hasan Nawaz, who stitched together a 40-run stand off 40 balls with captain Mahedi Hasan for the fifth wicket, followed by a 35-run partnership off 34 balls with Asif Ali for the sixth. Although Mahedi (28) and Asif (27) fell, Hasan held his nerve till the end.
Chattogram needed 10 runs off the final over. Hasan struck a boundary to collect eight runs off the first three balls, faced two dots, and then sealed a memorable win by taking the required two runs off the last delivery.
Hasan finished with a match-winning 35 off 36 balls, including two fours, and was named Player of the Match. For Rajshahi, Binura Fernando took three wickets for 18 runs, while Meherob claimed two for 25.
