Sylhet Strikers have led the points table for most parts of the Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 2023 and it came as no surprise when they became the first team to confirm a playoff berth after beating Khulna Tigers by 31 runs Monday.
In their last match of this edition at home venue Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Mashrafe bin Mortaza's side marked the occasion with a clinical win that sees them extend their stay at the top of the standings with 16 points from 10 matches, four points ahead of closest challengers Fortune Barishal, who have played two games less.
The Tigers meanwhile are one of three teams on four points, and facing an uphill task to qualify for the playoffs.
The in-form Towhid Hridoy (74 off 49) starred for the Strikers, who were invited to take first guard and posted 192 losing four wickets.
Player of the match Hridoy shared 114 runs alongside Zakir Hasan for the second wicket, the latter scoring a brisk 38-ball 53 at No 3.
In reply, Khulna managed 161 for the loss of nine wickets as a couple of 33s from Azam Khan and Shai Hope were nearly not enough to chase down the big target.
Right-arm pacer Rubel Hossain bagged four wickets for the table-toppers.
Mahedi inspires Riders victory
Mahedi Hasan hammered a 43-ball 72 as Rangpur Riders kept themselves well and truly in the race for a last four spot with a five-wicket win over Dhaka Dominators, reports BSS.
After being asked to bat first, Dhaka were restricted to 144/5, more than 50% of the total came from the willow of Usman Ghani, who was not out on 73 off 55, after hitting seven fours and three sixes.
Ghani's valiant effort was trumped by Mahedi whose first fifty plus score in the tournament helped Rangpur get over the line with an over to spare.
Mahedi's knock was studded with six fours and five sixes.
Rony Talukdar made 29 off 28 and added 63 with Mahedi for the second wicket stand after losing his fellow opener Mohammad Naim for a duck.
In-form Shoaib Malik and captain Nurul Hasan (both six) also fell for single digit figure after Amir Hamza removed Rony.
Pacer Al-Amin Hossain reduced Rangpur to 123/5, getting rid of Mahedi and giving the side a glimmer of hope.
But Mohammad Nawaz (17) and Azmatullah Omarzai (12) played two quickfire knocks to steer the side home with the former sealing the deal with a towering six against Salman Irshad, who took 2/36.
Omarzai snared 2/27 while Mahedi and Rakibul Hasan claimed one wicket apiece for Rangpur and helped the side restrict Dhaka for a limited total on the board.
The Afghan seamer dismissed both the openers Mizanur Rahman (five) and Soumya Sarkar (11) before Ghani came up with resistance.
But Mahedi and Rakibul ripped through the middle-order, dismissing Alex Blake (four) and Mohammad Mithin (14).
Skipper Nasir Hossain then accompanied Ghani in a 55-run partnership for the fourth wicket, which took them close to the 150-run mark.
Nasir made 29 off 22 before being run out.
It was Dhaka's seventh defeat in nine games as the capital city outfit find themselves in sixth position in the points table.
Based on net run rate, Chattogram Challengers are now bottom of the pile.
Rangpur are in fourth spot with 10 points and owing to net run rate Comilla Victorians are third with same number of points.
Considering the scenario of the points table, it almost looks like Sylhet, Barishal, Comilla and Rangpur would make up the playoff line-up.