Sylhet: Emerging fast bowler Ripon Mondol showed nerves of steel in the Super Over and Rajshahi Warriors cruised to a thrilling victory over Rangpur Riders at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Thursday in the eighth match of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025-26.
Mondol, who finished with a decent 2/43, was entrusted to bowl the Super Over for the Warriors courtesy of his decent bowling at the death.
The Raiders needed seven wickets in the last over but Mondol denied them the victory as he took two wickets for just six, while the experienced Mahmudullah was run out in the final ball.
In the follow-on, opener David Malan, who top-scored for the Raiders, was stuck at the non-striker’s end throughout the final over.
In the one-over eliminator, Mondol displayed equally compelling death bowling skills as he again conceded just six runs and took one wicket.
His death-bowling exploits set a modest seven-run target for the Warriors, who chased it down in just three balls, courtesy of Danzid Hasan.
Earlier, Raiders captain Nurul Hasan won the toss and sent the Warriors in to bat first. Aided by an anchoring second-wicket partnership of Sahibzada Farhan and captain Najmul Hossain Shando, the leaders posted 159/8 in their 20 overs.
Farhan scored 65 runs off 46 balls with 8 fours and 2 sixes, while Shando scored 41 runs off 30 balls while Shando top scored with a half-century.
Among the bowlers for the Raiders, Faheem Ashraf took 3 wickets for 43 runs in his four overs, followed by Al Islam with two wickets and Mustafizur Rahman with a scalp.
Chasing a tough target of 160, the Raiders could only muster 159/6 in their 20 overs despite a century-plus partnership between Malan and Dawhid Hridoi.
The duo put on 100 for the second wicket and the Raiders were comfortably settled at 122/1 in 15 overs, but Hridoi was dismissed after a 39-ball 53.
His dismissal sparked a slump that saw the Raiders lose wickets at an alarming rate and eventually prevented them from chasing down the target despite Malan remaining unbeaten.
The thrilling win strengthened Rajshahi Warriors’ grip on the PPL 2025-26 standings as they now have six points after four matches, while Rangpur Riders are third with two points from two games.
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