On Thursday, despite making significant changes to their lineup, Dhaka fell short once again, losing to Chittagong Kings by 7 wickets in their fifth match at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

Batting first after losing the toss, Dhaka posted a competitive total of 177 runs, thanks to a blistering knock from Sabbir Rahman. However, Chittagong's strong start in the powerplay, where they scored 55 runs, set the tone for their chase.

Although opener Parvez Hossain Emon fell early for 17, Chittagong's Usman Khan, the tournament’s first centurion, and Graham Clark built a solid 51-run partnership for the second wicket. Usman scored 55 off 33 balls before being dismissed, but Chittagong never lost control of the game.

Captain Mohammad Mithun and Clark kept the momentum going before Dhaka’s Mosaddek Hossain brought them back into the match with two crucial wickets in the 15th and 17th overs, including the dismissal of Clark for 39. Despite the fightback, Mithun’s steady knock of 33* off 22 balls and a fiery cameo from Shamim Hossain (32* off 14 balls) sealed the win for Chittagong with three balls to spare.

Among Dhaka’s bowlers, Mustafizur Rahman, Mosaddek Hossain, and Farmanullah took one wicket each, but they struggled to contain the opposition in key moments.

Earlier, Dhaka’s innings started poorly as opener Jason Roy was stumped for just 1 in the second over. Stephen Eskinazi (5) and Shahadat Hossain Dipu (9), who replaced Liton Das in the lineup, also failed to make an impact. Under pressure, Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Sabbir stitched together a crucial 63-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Sabbir, who last scored a T20 half-century four years ago in the Bangabandhu T20 Cup, finally ended his drought with a scintillating knock. He smashed 82 runs off just 33 balls, including 9 sixes and 3 fours, giving Dhaka a fighting total. Tanzid also contributed with a steady 54 off 48 balls, featuring 4 fours and 2 sixes.

For Ctg, Khaled Ahmed was the standout bowler, taking 3 wickets for just 21 runs in his 4 overs. Aliss Al Islam and Mohammad Wasim chipped in with one wicket each.

Despite Sabbir’s heroics, Dhaka’s bowlers failed to capitalize, leaving the team searching for their first win of the season.