Cricket
BPL 2024: Babar, Omarzai, and Nabi to leave Rangpur Riders
Rangpur Riders' trio of foreign players, Pakistan’s Babar Azam and Afghanistan's Mohammad Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai, are poised to exit the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) on Wednesday.
The media department of the Rangpur Riders has confirmed this development to UNB.
BPL 2024: Sylhet Phase concludes with Rangpur rising to top 3
Babar Azam, recognized as one of the world's premier batters, has showcased stellar performances in the BPL. Accumulating over 200 runs in the current season for Rangpur, he played pivotal roles in securing victories on multiple occasions, amassing a total of 204 runs in five innings with an impressive average exceeding 50.
“I’m eager to play for Rangpur again,” Babar said on Monday while talking to the media in Mirpur. “Since we have to be busy playing international cricket, so we cannot join BPL regularly.”
BPL 2024: Barishal stun high-flying Khulna with late surge for unlikely win
Mohammad Nabi, has also made significant contributions, tallying 81 runs and claiming seven wickets in six matches. Azmatullah Omarzai posted a total of 147 runs in six matches, along with two wickets.
Rangpur Riders currently lead the points table in the BPL, amassing eight points after six matches. While Khulna Tigers and Chattogram Challengers share the same points, Rangpur maintains the top position due to a superior run rate.
BPL 2024: Ngarava inspires Sylhet to maiden win after Mithun's dogged knock
Following a two-day break after the Sylhet phase, the BPL is scheduled to resume on Tuesday in Dhaka.
ICC U-19 Men's World Cup: Bangladesh eliminated from super six after losing to Pakistan
Former champions Bangladesh made their early exit from the super six stage of the ongoing ICC U-19 Men's World Cup 2024, after losing to Pakistan by five runs in a nail-biting match at Benoni in South Africa on Saturday (February 3).
After the day's match, India and Pakistan qualified for the semifinals from Group A.
Chasing a modest target of 156 runs in 38.1 overs to assure a spot in the semifinal berth from Group A, Bangladesh were miserably all out for 150 runs in 35.5 overs.
Bangladesh made a frustrating start losing wickets on a regular interval -- three wickets in 43 runs, seven wickets in 123 runs, and nine wickets in 127 runs.
Shihab James was the main contributor for Bangladesh, scoring 26 runs off 43 balls hitting three boundaries while tail-ender Rohanat Duollah Borson tried best for Bangladesh's survival in the last wicket scoring an unbeaten 21 runs off 24 balls, featuring one over boundary.
Chowdhury Md Rizwan (20), Jishan Alam (19), Ariful Islam (14), captain Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby (13), and Ahrar Amin (11) were the other notable scorers for Bangladesh.
Pakistani right arm medium pacer Ubaid Shah made the major damage in Bangladesh innings grabbing five wickets for 44 runs with a maiden in his 10 overs spell and was adjudged the man of the match.
Ali Reza claimed three Bangladesh wickets for 44 runs in 10 overs, also with a maiden.
Earlier, sent into bat first, the Pakistan U-19 team were all out for 155 runs in 40.4 overs against devastating bowling by Rohanat Doullah Borson and Sheikh Paevez Jibon
For Pakistan, lower order Arafat Minhas (34), opener Shahzaib Khan (26), another opener Shamyl Hussain (19), Ali Asfand (19) and Ahmad Hasan (11) were notable batsmen reaching the double figure.
Medium pacer Rohanat Doullah Borson, who was adjudged man of the match against Nepal in the last match grabbing four wickets, also captured four wickets in the match conceding 24 runs in eight overs with a maiden.
Right arm off break bowler Sheikh Paevez Jibon, who claimed three wickets against Nepal, grabbed four wickets also conceding 24 runs in his 10 over spell with three maidens.
Bangladesh made a flying start in their opening super six match of the ICC U-19 Men's World Cup 2024 beating their South Asian rivals Nepal by five wickets with 148 balls remaining at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein, South Africa last Wednesday.
BPL 2024: Sylhet Phase concludes with Rangpur rising to top 3
In the final match of the Sylhet phase of the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) season, Rangpur Riders triumphed over the Sylhet Strikers by 77 runs on Saturday.
This victory propelled Rangpur to the top three positions on the points table, joining Khulna Tigers and Chattogram Challengers.
Opting to bat first, Rangpur set a target of 162 for seven, fueled by notable contributions from Babar Azam and Nurul Hasan Sohan, scoring 47 and 46, respectively.
Read: BPL Football: Dhaka Mohammedan SC force holders Bashundhara Kings to taste first defeat; Sylhet's Samit Patel and Harry Tector took two wickets each in their bowling effort.
In response, Sylhet crumbled, managing only 85 runs in 16.5 overs. Rangpur's Mahedi Hasan and Mohammad Nabi claimed three wickets each.
With this win, Rangpur secured a spot in the top three, while Sylhet finds itself at the bottom of the table with only one win in seven matches.
After a two-day break, BPL action will resume in Dhaka on February 6.
Read more: Rangana Herath departs from BCB
BPL Football: Dhaka Mohammedan SC force holders Bashundhara Kings to taste first defeat;
Dhaka Mohammedan SC forced holders Bashundhara Kings to concede the first in the 10-team ABG Bashundhara Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football beating them by 1-0 goal in the 6th round match at the Kings' home ground --Bashundhara Kings Arena-- here Saturday evening.
Minhajur Abedin Rakib scored the match winning goal for traditional black & whiles Mohammedans in the 40th minute of the match silencing the Kings large fans at the big bowl in a marathon match that lasted for about 107 minutes, featuring 17 minutes of the stoppage time.
Despite the day' s maiden defeat, defending champions Bashundhara Kings dominated the league table securing 15 points while Federation Cup champions Mohammedan SC followed the league leaders Kings neck and neck securing 14 points, both playing six matches each.
In the day's another match, lowly Chittagong Abahani Limited tasted their first victory in the league upsetting former champions Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club by 2-0 goals at the Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni Stadium in Gopalganj Saturday afternoon.
After a barren first half, midfielder Mannaf Rabby put Abahani ahead in the 52nd minute while Nigerian forward David Ifegwu scored the 2nd goal for the port city team in the stoppage time of the match (90+1 minute).
The day's other match between Fortis FC and bottom placed Brothers Union Club ended in a 2-2 draw at the Muktijoddha Smriti Stadium Rajshahi on Saturday.
Defender Rabby Hasan scored first for Brothers Union Club in the 9th minute (1-0) while Gambian forward Pa Omar restored the parity for Fortis SC in the 41st minute from a penalty (1-1).
Former national striker Mahbubur Rahman Sufil again put Brothers Union ahead in the 69th minute (2-1) while Valeri of Ukraine leveled the margin for Fortis FC again in the 78th minute (2-2).
Team leader of Fortis FC Shahin Hasan got a direct red card in the match.
On completion of the day' s 6th round matches, five teams --- Rahmatganj MFS, Fortis FC, Sheikh Russel KC, Chittagong Abahani and Sheikh Jamal DC-- have secured six points each and was placed in the 5th and 9th positions by virtue of better goal differences.
Brothers Union are in the bottom of the league table securing three points from six matches.
Rangana Herath departs from BCB
Bangladesh's spin bowling consultant, Rangana Herath, has parted ways with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), as confirmed by a BCB official on Saturday.
“He is no longer with us,” stated Jalal Yunus, the chairman of the cricket operations department at BCB, during a media briefing. “Our proposal did not align with his expectations, and he is no longer under contract with us.”
Rangana, a Sri Lankan spin legend, joined the Bangladesh team as a spin bowling consultant in July 2021. Initially appointed on a temporary basis for the Zimbabwe tour and the home series against Australia and New Zealand, including the T20 World Cup, he later became the full-time spin bowling coach for a two-year term in November 2021.
The board had been pleased with Rangana's contributions to Bangladesh's spin bowling department during his initial contract period.
As a player, Rangana Herath was one of the premier figures of his era, amassing over 400 wickets in Tests and surpassing 1000 wickets in First-class cricket. Widely regarded as one of the best left-arm spinners of all time, his departure marks a notable change for Bangladesh's cricket coaching staff.
BPL 2024: Barishal stun high-flying Khulna with late surge for unlikely win
Facing the improbable task of securing 37 runs from the final 12 balls, a victory seemed unlikely for Fortune Barishal, even with half of their wickets in hand. Still, they achieved it in style, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shoaib Malik striking the ball beyond the boundary.
Barishal stunned the Khulna Tigers, handing them the first defeat of the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) season on Saturday in one of the penultimate games of the Sylhet phase.
Scoring 31 off just 15 balls with three sixes and one four, Mehidy remained unbeaten. Malik was also unbeaten on 41 off just 25 balls with three sixes and one four.
In the 19th over, Mohammad Wasim conceded 19 runs, concluding his quota by giving away 36 runs, despite conceding only 17 runs in the first three overs. In the final over, Dasun Shanaka needed to prevent the opposition from scoring 18 runs, but unfortunately, he couldn't. Although in his first over before the last one, he only gave away 6 runs, things changed in the last four balls, where he leaked 18 runs.
Khulna batted first in this match and posted 155 for eight, a challenging total given the nature of the wicket in Sylhet. Mohammad Nawaz scored 38, the highest by any Khulna batter. Parvez Hossain Emon, playing his maiden match in this BPL, was right behind him with 33.
For Barishal, Taijul Islam and Shoaib Malik took two wickets each, with Taijul impressively conceding only seven runs in three overs.
In response, Barishal lost Ahmed Shehzad early for a duck. However, they managed to recover from this early setback, with cautious batting by Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar. Both were batting at a strike rate just surpassing 100, and Mushfiqur Rahim also followed their path, batting at a strike rate of 108.
Mehidy and Malik shifted gears for Barishal and, eventually, led the team to victory with two balls to spare. It was the third win for Barishal in six matches they’ve played so far.
BCB unveils itinerary for Sri Lanka's tour
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially disclosed the schedule for Sri Lanka's tour of Bangladesh in 2024, featuring a comprehensive lineup of three T20Is, three ODIs, and two Tests.
In a surprising twist, none of the matches in this series will be held in Dhaka, typically a primary venue for the international home series in Bangladesh.
The tour kicks off with the T20I series in Sylhet. The first match is set for March 4, followed by the next two matches on March 6 and 9.
The first two T20Is will commence at 6 pm, while the third is scheduled for a 3 pm start.
After the T20I series in Sylhet, the action moves to Chattogram for the ODIs on March 13, 15, and 18. All three ODIs are slated to begin at 2:30 pm.
Subsequent to the ODI series, the tour returns to Sylhet for the first Test on March 22. The Bangladesh and Sri Lanka teams will then travel to Chattogram for the final Test, which starts on March 30.//
BPL 2024: Ngarava inspires Sylhet to maiden win after Mithun's dogged knock
— In their sixth match of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2024, Sylhet Strikers finally tasted their maiden victory, propelled by skipper Mohammad Mithun's half-century and Zimbabwean pacer Richard Ngarava's four-wicket haul at the Sylhet International Stadium on Friday.
Sylhet clinched the win by 15 runs against Durdanto Dhaka. Opting to bat first, Sylhet posted a total of 142 runs. Despite early setbacks, including the swift dismissals of Shamsur Rahman and Najmul Hossain Shanto, Sylhet Strikers posted a competitive total of 142/8 in their allotted 20 overs.
Captain Mithun led from the front with a crucial 59 runs, receiving valuable support from Samit Patel, Benny Howell, and Ariful Haque, who scored quick 21 runs off just 9 balls.
For Dhaka, Shoriful Islam claimed four wickets, while Arafat Sunny took two crucial scalps.
In response, Dhaka faced a daunting task. Despite resistance from Saim Ayub and Saif Hassan, Richard Ngarava's exceptional bowling rattled the Dhaka batting lineup. Ngarava's four-wicket haul for 30 runs applied immense pressure on the opposition.
Durdanto Dhaka, chasing 143 for victory, fell short, managing only 127/9 in their 20 overs. Taskin Ahmed's late onslaught of 27 off 11 balls provided some entertainment but couldn't turn the tide in Dhaka's favor.
While Sylhet celebrated their maiden win in the sixth match of the season, Dhaka faced their fourth defeat in five matches played so far.//
ICC U-19 Men's World Cup: Bangladesh make flying start in Super Six thrashing Nepal
Former champions Bangladesh made a flying start in their opening super six match of the ICC U-19 Men's World Cup' 2024 beating their South Asian rivals Nepal by five wickets with 148 balls remaining at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein, South Africa on Wednesday.
Nepal batted first after winning the toss and were all out for 169 runs in 49.5 overs with Vishal Bikram KC pairing with captain Dev Khanal contributing 62 runs in the 4th wicket stand.
Number five batter Vishal Bikram KC scored the team highest 48 runs off 100 balls hitting six fours while number four batsman Dev Khanal made 35 runs off 60 balls featuring three boundaries.
Besides, opener Arjun Kumal (14) and lower order Subash Bhandari (18) were the other notable Nepalese batter reaching the double figures
Rohanat Doullah Borson grabbed four Nepalese wickets for 19 runs in his 8.5 overs with two maidens and was adjudged player of the match while Sheikh Paevez Jibon claimed three wickets for 34 runs.
In reply, Bangladesh team faced no trouble to score the match-winner 170 runs for the loss of five wickets in just 25.2 overs with two down Ariful Islam quick-firing the match highest and unbeaten 59 runs off just 38 balls featuring seven fours and two sixes.
Besides, opener Jishan Alam (55), another opener Ashiqur Rahman Shibli (16), Chowdhury M Rizwan (15), Ahrar Amin (12) were the other major contributors for Bangladesh team.
Subash Bhandari made the major damage in Bangladesh innings grabbing all the five wickets conceding 44 runs in his eight over bowling.
Bangladesh will play Group D champions Pakistan in their other super six match at Benoni in South Africa on Saturday (February 3).
After the 16- team group matches on Sunday, top 12 teams, divided in two groups, are playing in the super six stage
Each of the teams carried forward their points and net run rate (NRR) in the super six stage which they earned in the group stage matches.
The six teams, which made super six berth from group A and D are: India, Bangladesh, Ireland (Group A) Pakistan, New Zealand and Nepal ( Group D)
South Africa, England, West Indies, Australia, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe qualified for the super six stage from Group B and C respectively.
The teams will play two matches in the Super Six stage against their opponents from the corresponding group which finished in a different position in their group.
The top two sides from the two Super Six groups will qualify for the semi-final stage.
Remaining fixtures of the Super Six matches
February 02:
India v Nepal in Bloemfontein
West Indies v Australia in Kimberley
South Africa v Sri Lanka in Potchefstroom
February 03:
Pakistan v Bangladesh in Benoni
New Zealand v Ireland in Bloemfontein
England v Zimbabwe in Potchefstroom
BPL: Shoaib Malik to rejoin Barishal in early February
Pakistani all-rounder Shoaib Malik is set to rejoin his Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) team, Fortune Barishal, on February 2, the team management confirmed on Wednesday.
According to Barishal's official statement, “Pakistani senior all-rounder Shoaib Malik will rejoin with the Fortune Barishal on 2 February 2024. In Sylhet phase Barishal will play last game against Khulna on 3 February.”
Mashrafe Takes a Break from BPL After Sylhet Strikers' String of Defeats
Malik had left the BPL after the first Dhaka phase, with initial reports suggesting he was released for the entire season.
This decision sparked controversy, with speculation arising that Malik's departure was linked to suspicions of fixing, particularly due to his delivery of three no-balls in an over during Barishal's match against Khulna Tigers in Dhaka.
BPL 2024: Mahmudullah and Imran inspire Barishal’s big win over Sylhet
Responding to the controversy, the Barishal team management issued a statement affirming that "Malik gave his best for them" during his time with the team.
Malik has been in the spotlight recently for his separation from Indian tennis legend Sania Mirza and his marriage to Pakistani actress Sana Javed.
BPL 2024: Riders Secure Third Victory Despite Late Surge by Victorians