Rangpur Riders pulled off an incredible comeback on Tuesday, January 23 to win the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) for the first time. The match's heroes were Afghanistan's Azmatullah Omarzai and star batsman Babar Azam, who led the team to victory over Sylhet Strikers.

Amidst a challenging situation at 39 for 6, while chasing a target of 121, Babar and Omarzai displayed remarkable resilience, building an outstanding seventh-wicket partnership that added an impressive 87 runs to the total. Despite the formidable challenge posed by Sri Lankan spinner Dushan Hemantha, who took three wickets in a single over, the unbeaten partnership steered the Riders to success.

Babar Azam exhibited his prowess with a superb knock of 56, while Omarzai contributed a valuable 47 runs, propelling the Riders to achieve the target with four wickets in hand and an impressive 10 balls to spare.

During the first innings, Sylhet Strikers managed to post a total of 120 for eight wickets. Despite efforts from Benny Howell and Ben Cutting, who both scored 37, the Strikers struggled against the formidable bowling attack of the Riders. Mashrafe Bin Mortaza's strategic decision to elevate himself to number three backfired, as he could only contribute six runs.

Notably absent from the match was key player Shakib Al Hasan, who is currently undergoing medical treatment in Singapore for a persistent eye issue dating back to the World Cup 2023. The timeline for Shakib's return to this year's BPL remains uncertain, creating a void in the Riders' lineup.