Fortune Barishal Defeats Durbar Rajshahi by 7 Wickets in the Opening Match of BPL

In the opening match of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Fortune Barishal surpassed Durbar Rajshahi's total of 197 runs, securing a 7-wicket victory. Despite being very close to a century, Tamim Iqbal remained unbeaten on 86 runs, guiding his team to victory with 15 balls remaining. After one loss, Fortune Barishal made a strong comeback with a win.

Tamim Iqbal started his innings cautiously, but once settled, he unleashed an aggressive batting display. He completed his 50 runs off 28 balls and remained unbeaten on 86, facing 48 balls and hitting 11 fours and 3 sixes. In the later stages, he was well-supported by Mushfiqur Rahim, who scored 34 runs off 24 balls.

In the second match of the day at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Durbar Rajshahi, after losing the toss, batted first. The opening partnership managed only 30 runs before Jishan Alam was joined by captain Enamul Haque Vijay. The pair added another 55 runs together. Jishan Alam, after two consecutive ducks in the previous matches, returned to form today with a solid 38 runs off 27 balls. However, when Fahim Ashraf entered the bowling attack, Jishan was dismissed as a catch by the wicketkeeper. Yasir Ali Chowdhury Rabi contributed 37 runs, while Enamul Haque Vijay was dismissed for 39 runs, stumped off Shaheen Shah Afridi’s delivery.

In the final stages of the innings, Ryan Burl scored 10, and Akbar Ali contributed 15 runs off 9 balls, helping Durbar Rajshahi post a challenging total of 168 runs.

In the run-chase, the opening partnership of Pritam Kumar and Tamim Iqbal started slowly. In the fourth over, Pritam Kumar was dismissed for 3 runs off 9 balls, stumped by Mohor Sheikh. Kyle Mayers, who came in at number three, showed some aggressive intent but was also dismissed quickly, bowled out by Mohor Sheikh with a brilliant delivery. Mayers scored 24 runs off 11 balls before being sent back to the pavilion, leaving Fortune Barishal on course for victory.