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Published : 26 Dec 2025, 09:58 PM
Rajshahi Warriors kicked off their Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) campaign in style, with Nazmul Hossain Shanto’s brilliant unbeaten century and Mushfiqur Rahim’s 51 not out guiding them to an eight-wicket victory over Sylhet Titans.
Thursday’s clash at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium saw a near-capacity crowd of 18,000 witness a masterclass in T20 batting.
The stands fell silent when Sylhet struggled against the Warriors’ top order, only to erupt in applause for Shanto and Mushfiqur’s spectacular partnership.
Commentator Waqar Younis called it a “magical stand, an incredible chase… pure entertainment for the fans”.
Shanto reached his century on the first ball of the final over, while Mushfiqur brought up his fifty with a four on the fourth ball. That final flourish sealed the chase for Rajshahi, who overhauled Sylhet’s 190-run target in 19.2 overs.
Despite a tournament mired in controversy and organisational chaos, the opening match brought cricket to life, with Shanto leading the charge.
The left-hander smashed an unbeaten 101 off 60 balls, including ten fours and five sixes.
It was his third T20 century overall and second in the BPL, joining Tamim Iqbal and Tanzid Hasan as the only Bangladeshi batsmen with two BPL centuries.
In the previous BPL, Shanto managed just 56 runs in five innings, but he almost doubled that in a single outing this season.
Ahead of the tournament, he had declared his intent to push for World Cup selection through the BPL and he delivered in style.
Mushfiqur, at 38, showed he still has plenty left in the tank, scoring an unbeaten 51 off 31 balls.
He had no fifties in nine innings last BPL season and initially missed out in the player auction, only joining a team late. His composed innings proved his T20 credentials remain top class.
The pair stitched an unbeaten 130-run partnership in just 71 balls, rescuing Rajshahi from early jitters. Opener Tanzid fell for 10 off eight balls, while Sahibzada Farhan struggled on debut. Saim Ayub survived a near run-out and a dropped catch before falling for 20 off 19 balls.
Rajshahi’s required run rate was above ten per over at the start of the partnership. Shanto started cautiously with two runs off eight balls, but then raced away, hitting three consecutive boundaries off Saim. He attacked Miraz with both sixes and fours, reaching fifty in 36 balls, and his second fifty in just 22 balls.
Mushfiqur, once at the crease, also punished Miraz with a six and a four, focusing on supporting Shanto throughout. The duo ignored any Sylhet bowling and finished the chase with authority.
Earlier, Sylhet Titans batted first after losing the toss, posting 190/5 in 20 overs. They scored 75 in the first ten overs and 115 in the next ten.
Rony Talukdar hit a boundary off the first ball, with Saim striking two sixes and two fours in the next three overs.
Saim fell for 28 off 15 balls, while Hazratullah Zazai returned after nearly six years, scoring 20 off 18.
His wicket fell to Sandeep Lamichhane, who was making his comeback after seven years.
After the powerplay, Rony had 16 runs from 16 balls and later scored 41 off 34 before being bowled by Lamichhane.
Three partnerships of 36, 32, and 36 runs then followed, with Pervez Hossain Emon and Afif Hossain putting together an 86-run stand in 41 balls, pushing Sylhet to 190 despite a dew-affected pitch.
Brief Score:
Sylhet Titans: 190/5 in 20 overs (Saim Ayub 28, Rony 41, Hazratullah Zazai 20, Pervez Hossain 65*, Afif Hossain 33, Brooks 0; Mehrab 4-0-34-0, Fernando 4-0-31-1, Tanzim 4-0-43-1, Lamichhane 4-0-38-2, Saqlain 3-0-33-0, Nawaz 1-0-9-0)
Rajshahi Warriors: 192/2 in 19.2 overs (Sahibzada 20, Tanzid 10, Shanto 101*, Mushfiqur 51*; Amir 4-0-30-0, Nasum 4-0-33-0, Khaled 3-0-30-1, Saim 1-0-12-0, Ruel 3.4-0-31-0, Miraz 3-0-39-1, Brooks 1-0-15-0)
Result: Rajshahi Warriors won by eight wickets.
