"In a thrilling kick-off to the tenth edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka emerged victorious, overcoming defending champions Comilla Victorians by 5 wickets. A spectacular hat-trick by Bangladesh's young pace bowler, Shoriful Islam, sealed Dhaka's triumph as they successfully chased down the target of 144, marking an exciting start to the BPL 2024 season."

 

Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka - In an electrifying start to the tenth edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), defending champions Comilla Victorians secured a hard-fought win against Duronto Dhaka in the opening match on Friday, January 19.

Dhaka's captain, Mosaddek Hossain, won the toss and opted to field first, a decision that initially seemed to pay off as Dhaka's bowlers exerted early pressure on the Comilla Victorians' batting lineup. Liton Das fell early, managing just 13 runs off 16 balls in the powerplay.

However, the momentum shifted when Imrul Kayes and Touhid Hridoy formed a formidable partnership, amassing 107 runs in 87 balls. Imrul contributed 66 runs, and Hridoy added 47 before being dismissed. Despite the promising start, Comilla struggled to build on the foundation, ultimately posting a total of 143/6 after 20 overs.

The highlight of the innings came in the form of Bangladesh's emerging pace bowler, Shoriful Islam, who claimed a maiden hat-trick by dismissing three Comilla Victorians batsmen in the final three balls of the innings. Taskin Ahmed also contributed with two crucial wickets for Dhaka.

In response, Dhaka successfully chased the target of 144 with five wickets and four balls in hand. Chasing a target of 144, Dhaka got off to an impressive start, with Mohammad Naim and Danushka Gunathilaka forging a 100-run partnership for the first wicket. Naim scored a brisk 52 off 40 balls, while Gunathilaka added 41 runs to the tally. Irfan Sukkur's 24 runs further solidified Dhaka's position.

Despite the efforts of Comilla's Tanvir Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman, who claimed two wickets each, Dhaka successfully chased down the target with five wickets and four balls to spare, securing a thrilling victory in the opening match of BPL.

The Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium witnessed nearly a full house, underscoring the enthusiasm of cricket fans for the return of the BPL.