Durbar Rajshahi consigned wooden-spooners Sylhet Strikers to their sixth straight defeat by winning a low-scoring affair at the Sher-e Bangla National Stadium on January 27, 2025. Rajshahi secured victory by five wickets, successfully chasing down the Strikers' modest target of 118 runs.
The match highlighted Rajshahi's bowling strength with SM Meherob leading the charge, claiming impressive figures of 4 wickets for just 15 runs. Alongside him, Mrittunjoy Chowdhury also made significant contributions with the ball, capturing three wickets, and putting the Strikers on the back foot early on.
Sylhet Strikers' innings started poorly as they lost both openers, Ariful Haque and Samiullah Shinwari, to Chowdhury within the first four balls of his spell, reducing them to 19 runs for 3 wickets. Zakir Hasan briefly stabilized the innings, forming a 39-run partnership with Jaker Ali, but their efforts were thwarted by Meherob, who not only removed both set batsmen but also added Kadeem Alleyne and Tanzim Hasan Sakib to his tally.
Despite late-order resistance from Ahsan Bhatti and Sumon Khan, who added valuable runs to stretch their total to 117 for 9, the Strikers could not recover from the batting collapse initiated by Chowdhury and Meherob. Bhatti managed to score 25 runs off 21 balls, with Sumon adding 20 runs not out, but neither could put enough runs on the board to challenge Rajshahi.
Chasing 118 runs, Durbar Rajshahi initially struggled. They lost their first four wickets for just 22 runs, with opening batsman Sabbir Hossain and number three batter Anamul Haque failing to score, falling prey to Sylhet Strikers’ pace spearhead Tanzim Hasan Sakib.
At this stage, the prospects of victory seemed bleak for Rajshahi, but middle-order batters Akbar Ali and Ryan Burl steadied the ship. They formed a solid fifth-wicket partnership, scoring 75 runs together, allowing Rajshahi to recover from the dismal start. Akbar Ali scored 43 runs from 38 balls, which included five boundaries and two sixes before being dismissed by Ahsan Bhatti.
Meanwhile, Ryan Burl remained unbeaten with 48 runs off 34 deliveries. He and his team completed their chase comfortably, reaching 121 runs for the loss of 5 wickets within 16.5 overs, securing their fifth win of the 2024-25 Bangladesh Premier League.
This victory is pivotal for Durbar Rajshahi as it boosts their chances of qualifying for the playoffs, following their previous win against the Rangpur Riders, which had ended the Riders' unbeaten streak earlier this season. Conversely, the loss leaves Sylhet Strikers at the bottom of the league table as they face mounting pressure with their playoff hopes dwindling.