Rangpur Riders Suffer 24-Run Defeat to Rajshahi in Final Match of Chattogram Phase

Rangpur Riders, who had been flying high with eight consecutive wins in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), faced a surprising 24-run defeat to a struggling Rajshahi side in their final match of the Chattogram phase. Chasing a target of 171 runs, Rangpur’s powerful batting lineup managed only 146 runs, with Ryan Burl’s magical five-wicket haul playing a key role in restricting them.

At the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Rajshahi, who lost the toss and batted first, posted a competitive total of 170 runs for the loss of nine wickets. Yasir Ali Chowdhury starred with a blistering 60 off 32 balls, smashing six sixes and two fours. Earlier, opener Sabbir Hossain contributed 39 runs, while Enamul Haque Bijoy was unfortunate to be run out after scoring 34 runs.

Rangpur’s bowlers, particularly the Pakistani duo of Khushdil Shah and Akif Javed, caused havoc in the Rajshahi batting lineup, each claiming three wickets to slow down the momentum.

In reply, Rangpur’s chase got off to a disastrous start. Taskin Ahmed rattled the stumps of Irfan Sukkur early, while SM Meherob struck twice in the fourth over, dismissing Steven Taylor (4) and Iftekhar Ahmed for a golden duck.

Khushdil Shah couldn’t contribute much, departing for just 14 runs. Rangpur’s hopes rested on Saif Hassan and Nurul Hasan Sohan, who scored 43 and 41 runs, respectively, but their dismissals dashed any chance of victory. Towards the end, Mohammad Saifuddin’s quick cameo of 23 runs off 14 balls reduced the margin of defeat but couldn’t save the Riders from their first loss in nine games.

With this result, Rangpur came back to earth after a dominant run, while Rajshahi secured a much-needed morale boost.