Sylhet Strikers registered their second victory in the Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 2024-25 season as they recorded an eight-run win against Khulna Tigers, riding on a brilliant 75 not out from Zakir Hasan at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium Sunday.
Zakir was key in Sylhet's first victory in the previous match too, when he struck a 27-ball 58 to lead the side to a three-wicket win over Dhaka Capitals.
That was Sylhet's first success after losing three games in a row.
Zakir's unbeaten 75 off 46, studded with three fours and six sixes, was his career-best and powered Sylhet to 182/5, a score that proved to be too hot to handle for Khulna who were eventually restricted to 174/9.
Opener Rony Talukdar was the other notable contributor for Sylhet with 44-ball 56, hitting five fours and two sixes.
After being asked to bat first, Sylhet were at a perilous position, losing two wickets for just 15 runs in 4.2 overs.
Zakir and Rony steadied the ship with 106-run partnership for the third wicket and gave the side a platform for a big total.
Abu Haider Rony, who took highest two wickets for Khulna giving away 25 runs, broke through with the wicket of his namesake Rony but Zakir continued his whirlwind batting, guiding the home side to a respectable total.
Aaron Jones with six-ball 20 and skipper Ariful Haque with 13-ball 21 not out helped Zakir provide the finishing flourish.
Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Reece Topley and Ruyel Miah scalped two wickets apiece to help Sylhet make regular inroads against Khulna.
Nahidul Islam gave the initial breakthrough by dismissing Mohammad Naim for 11.
The trio then got in to the act to gradually slice through the middle-order, leaving them 19 runs required to win the game in the last over with three wickets in hand.
When Haider struck two boundaries in a row, Khulna looked to be on their way to winning the match but Ruyel crucially claimed his wicket in the next delivery.
And then to make matters worse, Mahidul Islam Ankan, who scored 28, was caught short of the crease, which eventually shattered Khulna's hope.
William Bosisto was the top-scorer for Khulan with 43 while Mohammad Nawaz made 33.
It was Khulna's second consecutive defeat after winning their first two matches.
17TH MATCH
Sylhet Strikers 182/5 (Zakir 75*, Rony 56) beat Khulna Tigers 174/9 (Bosisto 43, Ruyel 2/28) by 8 runs
