Chittagong Kings moved to the final of the Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 2024-25 season after securing a two-wicket victory against Khulna Tigers in a nerve-racking Qualifier-2 game at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium Wednesday.
A match that repeatedly gave adrenaline pumping moments to the fans of both the teams, Chittagong finally prevailed by scoring a required 15 runs in the last over, with Aliss Al Islam hammering a boundary through extra cover when his side needed exactly four runs off the final delivery.
Khulna recovered from a shaky start, thanks to Shimron Hetmyer’s 33-ball 63 to post 163/6 but Chittagong eventually won the see-saw clash by holding their nerve, albeit after some hiccups.
With 15 required from the last over, Arafat Sunny smashed a four off the first ball and scored two off the second against pacer Musfik Hasan.
He was poised to take another double but Aliss appeared to be injured while reaching the crease after completing one run.
He was taken off the field and Shoriful Islam, the new batter hit a four before getting out in the fifth delivery, leaving the port city side four runs away from victory, with one ball remaining.
Aliss then returned to the field, a move that Khulna protested, saying an injured player cannot bat so early after being taken out of the field due to injury.
However, umpires permitted him and Aliss did the rest to take Chittagong to the final.
They will take on Fortune Barishal in the grand finale Friday at the home of cricket in Mirpur.
Earlier in the Qualifier-1 tie, Chittagong lost to Barishal to be forced to play the Qualifier-2 encounter.
In pursuit of the target, the Kings lost Parvez Hossain Emon (four) and Graham Clark (four) cheaply to be reduced to 35/2 before Khawaja Nafay and Hussain Talat, the two Pakistan recruits, steadied the ship.
Nafay made team-best 57 off 46 with four fours and three sixes while Talat added a 25-ball 40, striking five fours and one six.
They added 70 for the third wicket as Chittagong looked to win the game with ease.
Nasum Ahmed broke the partnership, getting rid of Talat, before Hasan Mahmud and Musfik, who both scalped three wickets apiece, sparked a collapse that saw Chittagong lose five wickets for 25 runs.
At this point, the Kings required 34 runs from 18 balls with three wickets in hand.
With tail-enders at the crease, Khulna sensed victory but Aliss and Arafat played some bold shots to help the side achieve an epic victory.
Arafat was unbeaten on 18 with Aliss on 17.
Khulna, who won the Eliminator game against Rangpur Riders to move to Qualifier-2, were reduced to 42/4 after being asked to bat first with Chittagong’s Sri Lankan pacer Binura Fernando running riot by moving the ball admirably both ways.
He rattled the stumps of Khulna captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz for two to provide the opening breakthrough.
He did not get any more wickets in the first powerplay but the way he curbed the aggression of Khulna batters, gave other bowlers a platform to go on the rampage.
Off-spinner Aliss got the better of Alex Ross (nought) with a return catch before pacer Khaled Ahmed uprooted the timber of Mohammad Naim, who made 19.
Arafat then joined the party to take the wicket of Afif Hossain for eight.
Hetmyer resisted, ably supported by Mahidul Islam Ankon, as the duo shared 73 for the fifth wicket.
Pacer Shoriful broke through with the wicket of Ankon who made 32-ball 41 with one four and three sixes.
Khulna pinned hopes on Hetmyer to provide a whirlwind finish but Fernando denied him, ending his stay that was laced with six fours and four sixes.
Still, his knock was instrumental in giving the Tigers a fighting total as he helped muster 69 runs in the last four overs.
Fernando eventually finished with 2/27 to emerge as the best bowler for Chittagong.
QUALIFIER 2
Khulna Tigers 163/6 (Hetmyer 63, Ankon 41) lost to Chittagong Kings 164/8 (Nafay 57, Talat 40) by 2 wickets
