Cricket
SAFF U-20 Women's Champs: Bangladesh to play Nepal in final on Thursday
Host Bangladesh to play Himalayan nation Nepal in the final of the four-nation SAFF U-20 Women's Championship '2023 on Thursday (February 9).
The title-deciding match between two arch-rivals will kick-off at 6 pm (Bangladesh time) at the floodlight Bir Sherestha Shaheed Shipahi Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur in the capital.
This was 3rd final match between two teams in the Senior and Age Group SAFF Women's Championships in last six months.
Bangladesh women's made a history by clinching their first-ever SAFF Women's (Senior) Championship title beating hosts Nepal by 3-1 goals in the final in Kathmandu in last September, but Bangladesh Women's team finished runners-up in the last SAFF U-15 Women's Championship losing to Nepal in the final on home soil at the end of the last year.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday ahead of the Thursday's final, Bangladesh coach Golam Rabbani Choton said, Nepal is a very strong team, they reached the final beating India, we are also a good side, so it will be a good and contesting final, the team who will utilize the chances they will be the winner".
On completion of league basis matches of the ongoing SAFF Youth Women's meet, Bangladesh women's team clinched top slot in the four-nation tournament to qualify for final as the only unbeaten team securing seven points, Nepal finished runners-up to reach the final collecting six points, favourite India eliminated from the meet with four points while Bhutan completed their engagements with empty hand.
Bangladesh booked a set for the final beating Nepal 3-1, drew goalless with India and outplaying all-losers Bhutan by 5-0 goal in the league basis matches.
Nepal moved into the final defeating Bhutan 4-0 and beat might India 3-1 after conceding 1-3 defeat against hosts Bangladesh
India, which rout Bhutan by 12-0 goal in the tournament opener, Tuesday eliminated the from meet despite leading 1-0 goal in the first half
Nepal, which entered to the field Tuesday afternoon in a must-win situation to reach the final, went down in the race initially by 0-1 goal in the middle of the first half, but they smartly bounced back in the match in the 2nd half scoring three goals in a row to achieve their challenging target silencing the high flying India.
With this well merited win, Nepal smartly qualified for the final as the first team securing six points from all three group matches after suffering 1-3 goals defeat against hosts Bangladesh, but they stayed in the race beating Bhutan by 4-0 goals in the 2nd match.
BPL: Sylhet secure their place in top-two of playoffs
The Sylhet Strikers, led by Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, secured their place in the top-two of playoffs of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) with a comfortable six-wicket victory over the Khulna Tigers on Wednesday in Mirpur.
The Strikers secured their spot in the top two by effortlessly defeating the Tigers by six wickets, despite Mashrafe not being able to bowl a single over in the game due to a potential muscle injury upon his return to the field.
Khulna, who batted first after winning the toss, started poorly, losing a couple of early wickets and being reduced to 21/3 in the sixth over.
Imad Wasim, Rubel Hossain, and Tanzim Hossain Sakib all took wickets with the ball for the Strikers, with Sakib picking up three, Imad and Rubell two each, and Mohammad Amir one.
Chasing a target of 114, the Strikers lost their openers early, but a 90-run partnership between Zakir Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim sealed the win. Zakir scored a fifty off 46 balls and Mushfiqur played a 39-run knock of 35 balls.
Imad Wasim was named player of the match for his fantastic spell of 4-0-10-2. Mashrafe expressed his delight at finishing in the top two and acknowledged that the team would miss Imad and Amir as they head to the Pakistan Super League.
Khulna's captain, Shai Hope, admitted that the players let themselves down, citing poor execution as the reason for the loss. It was Khulna’s ninth defeat in 11 matches. They will play the last match of the season on February 10th against Fortune Barishal.
BPL observes one-minute silence for earthquake victims in Turkey, Syria
The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) community paid their respects to the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. Today, players, match officials, spectators, and journalists observed silence for a minute in honour of those affected by the tragedy.
As Turkey rushes to reach the areas hit hardest by the earthquake, Syria is facing challenges in their rescue efforts due to a shortage of fuel supplies. Meanwhile, the death toll from the disaster has risen to nearly 9,000 and there is fear that the number could go up.
Over 50 nations have joined forces to aid in the rescue operation following the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Bangladesh has also stepped forward – dispatching two teams to assist in the effort. However, the current status of their collaboration with the Turkish authorities remains unclear. Experts say it’s the worst natural disaster in the current century.
BPL observed the minute-long silence ahead of the match between Sylhet Strikers and Khulna Tigers. The giant screen installed in the gallery of Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium also displayed a message for Turkey and Syria saying, “Our hearts go out to Turkey and Syria”.
'Chandika not as strict as we think': Khaled Mahmud
Chandika Hathurusingha has been named coach of the Bangladesh national cricket team for a second time. He will begin his new role during the upcoming England series in Bangladesh. Khaled Mahmud, former Bangladesh coach and director of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), has referred to Chandika as a "good man."
Mahmud stated that he expects Chandika to turn the Bangladesh team's fortunes around during this tenure. He acknowledged that while Chandika has a reputation as a strict coach, he is not as strict as people think.
Mahmud praised Chandika for his honesty, saying that he is not a coach with a "double face." He added that Chandika has matured and is now more capable of delivering results as the head coach of the Tigers.
The former Bangladesh cricket captain, Mahmud, previously served as the team director. However, he stated that he is uncertain about fulfilling the same role in the upcoming series.
“The role of team director is not a permanent position for me," he said. "If the board president asks me to do the job, I am willing to do so. However, I have not received any recent confirmation from the president.”
Read more: Home Sports Cricket Chandika returns as Bangladesh cricket team’s head coach
England is set to tour Bangladesh in March for three ODIs and three T20Is. The first two ODIs will be played in Dhaka on March 1 and 3, while the third ODI and first T20I will be held in Chattogram on March 6 and 9. The final two T20Is will take place in Dhaka on March 12 and 14.
BPL 2023: Mukidul's 5-wicket haul helps Comilla maintain winning run
Comilla Victorians picked up another win in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) over Fortune Barishal on Tuesday, thanks to right-arm pacer Mukidul Islam who scalped five wickets.
Barishal were bowled out for 121 runs in 19.1 overs after losing the toss and being sent to bat first.
Mahmudullah Riyad was their top scorer with 36 runs, coming in to bat at number three after opener Anamul Haque Bijoy's failure. The other opener, Fazle Mahmud, and middle-order batters Shakib Al Hasan and Iftikhar Ahmed also underperformed.
However, Afghan batter Karim Janat saved the day with 32 off 26 balls, including four fours and a six.
Mukidul was the standout bowler for the Victorians, taking five wickets for 23 runs in 3.1 overs.
Read more: BPL 2023: Dhaka end with another defeat
In reply, despite losing four wickets for 60 runs, with a contribution of 36 runs off 39 balls by Liton Das, Comilla sealed the match with an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 62 runs between Khushdil Shah and Andre Russell.
Russell remained unbeaten with 30 off 16 balls, including two fours and three sixes, while Shah hit 23 off 19 balls.
This win marked Comilla's eighth in a row, securing their position as the number two team in the standings with 16 points from 11 matches. They have one more league match to play against Rangpur Riders on February 10.
BPL 2023: Dhaka end with another defeat
The Dhaka Dominators concluded their Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2023 journey with a defeat in the final match against Chattogram Challengers in Mirpur on Tuesday.
Chattogram, who were also out of contention for the top four, put up a total of 118/8 in 20 overs with Ziaur Rahman top-scoring at 34 runs and Usman Khan at 30 runs.
For Dhaka, Arafat Sunny bagged four wickets.
In reply, Dhaka could only manage 103/9 in their 20 overs. Soumya Sarkar and Nasir Hossain made promising start but couldn't convert those into substantial contributions.
For Chattogram, Curtis Campher took three wickets and Ziaur took two, securing a 15-run victory.
The defeat marked Dhaka's ninth loss in 12 games.
Nasir Hossain, the captain of Dhaka, had a productive run in the BPL, amassing over 350 runs at an average of 45, including two half-centuries. He also stood out as the leading wicket-taker with 16 wickets to his name.
However, despite his impressive performance, Nasir was unable to elevate the performance of his team.
Taskin's hamstring injury catches up to him
Pacer Taskin Ahmed has been forced to withdraw from the already eliminated Dhaka Dominators in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) due to a hamstring injury.
The fast bowler had a strong showing in this year's edition, playing in nine consecutive matches for his team. However, he suffered a setback after that.
To ensure he is fully fit for the upcoming England series in March, the BCB medical department has declared that it is necessary for Taskin to take a break from the BPL.
Taskin's last BPL match was on January 30th. Despite Dhaka playing two matches since then, he was unable to participate due to his injury.
Dhaka will play their final match of the season on Tuesday.
While he was fit, Taskin was a force to be reckoned with, taking 10 wickets in nine matches. He performed exceptionally well with his best figures being four wickets for just nine runs.
Dhaka underperformed in this season of the BPL, winning only three of their 11 matches. As a result, they were eliminated from the league phase of the main T20 tournament in the country.
BPL: Talukdar, Naim power Rangpur Riders to 8-wicket win
Rangpur Riders beat Sylhet Strikers by eight wickets on Saturday in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in Mirpur.
With the win, the Riders kept their chances of topping the table in the league phase alive.
Put in to bat first, the Strikers scored 170-2 in 20 overs. Towhid Hridoy scored 85 runs off 57 balls with 13 boundaries and 2 sixes.
Najmul Hossain Shanto's innings was cut short by Hasan Mahmud, as he was dismissed after scoring 15 runs off 22 balls. Next, Zakir Hasan was caught by Aaron Jones off Mahedi Hasan after scoring 7 runs from as many balls.
The Strikers' stand-in captain, Mushfiqur Rahim, held the innings together and remained unbeaten on 55 runs off 35 balls with five fours and three sixes.
Mahedi Hasan and Hasan Mahmud took one wicket each for the Riders.
The Riders had a strong start to their run chase. Rony Talukdar scored 66 runs off 35 balls with eight fours and three sixes. Mohammad Naim scored 45 runs off 32 balls with six fours.
Shoaib Malik also played a crucial role in the Riders' victory, scoring an unbeaten 41 runs off 24 balls. His innings included four fours and one six. The Riders reached their target of 171 runs in 18 overs with the loss of two wickets.
Read more: BPL 2023: Victorians Continue Winning Streak with a 6-Wicket Win Over Challengers
BPL 2023: Victorians Continue Winning Streak with a 6-Wicket Win Over Challengers
The Comilla Victorians triumphed over the Chattogram Challengers by six wickets on Saturday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. The victory marked the seventh consecutive win for Comilla Victorians.
Chattogram Challengers won the toss and elected to bat first, but their innings was hampered by early dismissals of Mehedi Maruf and Khawaja Nafay, who suffered a duck and scored 2 runs, respectively.
Afif Hossain and Usman Khan stepped up for the Challengers with strong performances. Afif scored 66 runs off 49 balls, hitting 6 fours and 2 sixes, while Usman made a contribution of 52 runs off 41 balls with 4 fours and 3 sixes.
Despite their efforts, the Chattogram Challengers only managed to post a score of 156/7 in their 20 overs.
Tanvir Islam and Hasan Ali took two wickets each for the Challengers.
Comilla Victorians got off to a strong start in their response, with their openers setting the tone for the rest of the innings.
Read more: BPL 2023: Tickets for final leg on sale from Thursday
Mohammad Rizwan played a key role in the victory, scoring 61 runs off 47 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes. Mosaddek Hossain also put on a reliable performance, finishing the match with an unbeaten 37 runs off 27 balls, hitting 3 fours and a six.
The Comilla Victorians secured their victory, scoring 157/4 in 19 overs.
Despite efforts from bowlers Mrittunjoy Chowdhury and Ziaur Rahman, who took two wickets each, the rest of the Chattogram Challengers' bowlers failed to make a significant impact.
BPL 2023: Rangpur book last playoff spot beating Dhaka
The Rangpur Riders clinched a playoff spot in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) with a two-wicket victory over the Dhaka Dominators on Friday in Mirpur.
The Riders won the toss and chose to field first in the match.
Dhaka struggled at the start, with Mohammad Mithun run out for 5 off 2 balls and Nasir Hossain and Soumya Sarkar both scoring 2 and failing to deliver.
Ariful Haque led the innings with 29 off 26, while Abdullah Al Mamun also contributed well with 23 off 27 balls.
Dhaka finished their innings at a below-par total of 130/8 in 20 overs.
Rangpur's Azmatullah Omarzai was the standout bowler, with two wickets and 22 runs conceded in four overs.
Rangpur had a slow start while replying, with opener Mohammad Naim failing to score, but Rony Talukdar and captain Nurul Hasan Sohan's 34 and 61, respectively, secured the victory.
Despite losing some quick wickets late in the match, Rangpur held on for the win and secured their place in the playoffs.