Nurul Hasan pulled off a near-impossible win for his team in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) clash. The BPL 2024-25 witnessed a thrilling encounter between Rangpur Riders and Fortune Barishal at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Thursday, January 9. Chasing a target of 198 runs, Rangpur Riders faced an early setback with the dismissal of opener Alex Hales for just one run. However, contributions from Tawfique Khan (38 runs) and Saif Hassan (22 runs) steadied the ship. The Pakistani duo of Iftikhar Ahmed (48 runs) and Khushdil Shah (48 runs) then took center stage, playing crucial innings to keep the Riders in the hunt.
Nurul Hasan smashes 30 runs off last over to pull off miraculous win over Rangpur Riders
And then came the Rangpur Riders captain Nurul Hasan. Needing 26 runs off the final over, Hasan unleashed a stunning display of power hitting, scoring 30 runs to seal an incredible win for his team. Hasan's knock reminded everyone of Rinku Singh, who hammered Yash Dayal for 30 runs in the last over to win the match for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2023.
The fate of the match rested on the final over, with Rangpur Riders needing 26 runs for victory. Kyle Mayers was tasked with delivering the crucial over, but he found himself under extreme pressure as Nurul Hasan launched a powerful six to deep mid-wicket. Hasan followed up with two consecutive boundaries, bringing the equation down to just 12 runs from the final three balls.
The drama continued as Nurul Hasan unleashed another six to deep square leg off the fourth ball, followed by another boundary on the penultimate delivery. In a breathtaking climax, Hasan smashed the final ball for yet another six, sealing a miraculous win for Rangpur Riders with 30 runs scored in the final over. The 31-year-old captain ended up scoring an unbeaten 32 runs off just seven balls, steering his team to a thrilling three-wicket win.
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Earlier, opting to bat first, Fortune Barishal got off to a promising start. Captain Tamim Iqbal (40 runs) and Najmul Hossain Shanto (41 runs) forged an 81-run partnership, setting a solid foundation for their innings. However, it was West Indies' Kyle Mayers who emerged as the star of the show. The left-handed batter delivered a blistering performance, remaining unbeaten on 61 runs off just 29 balls, including one boundary and a staggering seven sixes. Faheem Ashraf also provided a valuable contribution with a quick-fire 20 runs off six balls, enabling Barishal to post a challenging total of 197 runs in their allotted 20 overs.
All thanks to God and I am very happy: Nurul Hasan
"Well you know when I went to the crease, Khushdil told me that we can win the game from here. All thanks to God and I am very happy. Yeah, you know, obviously we required to keep our focus on the ground. It is still a long way to go and we will be focused for the next game. Still a long way to go in the tournament. Iftikhar and Khushdil batted really well and added up a crucial partnership. Long way to go for us so hope for the best," Nurul Hasan, who was adjudged the 'Player of the Match' for his outstanding performance, said in the post-match presentation.