Home
+
Published : 19 Jul 2025, 11:05 AM
A moment of chaos shifted the momentum, and perhaps the destination of the trophy, too. Iftikhar Ahmed tapped Imran Tahir’s full toss toward wide long-on and called for a quick single. He hesitated mid-pitch after a late second run call, but Saif Hassan was already halfway down the track.
Romario Shepherd’s sharp throw was gathered by Tahir, who flicked it to Rahmanullah Gurbaz behind the stumps. The bails were off in a flash and Saif was caught short of his ground. A brilliant 73-run stand came crashing down in the form of a painful run-out. Saif, fuming with frustration, stormed back to the dressing room with a fiery glare at Iftikhar, who himself looked livid at the mix-up.
That dismissal turned the tide against the Rangpur Riders. What followed was a dramatic collapse that ended Rangpur’s hopes of defending their Global Super League (GSL) crown.
Needing to set a GSL record for the highest-ever successful chase to retain the trophy, Rangpur briefly looked in control during the Iftikhar-Saif partnership. But once the stand was broken, they couldn’t stay in the hunt.
In the Saturday morning clash (Bangladesh time) at the Providence Stadium, hosts Guyana Amazon Warriors secured their maiden GSL title, defeating Rangpur by 32 runs. Chasing a daunting 196, Rangpur folded for 164 with one ball to spare.
The 196-run total was the highest ever in GSL history. In the competition's two-season existence, no side had previously crossed even the 180-run mark.
Last season, Rangpur rallied from two early losses to claim the title with three consecutive wins. This year told the opposite story. They topped the table after winning their first three games and secured their place in the final early. Their fourth match was abandoned due to rain. But their championship dreams were shattered in the final act.
EARLY SETBACKS
The chase started poorly for Rangpur. Within the Powerplay, they lost Ibrahim Zadran (5 off 4), Soumya Sarkar (13 off 14), and Kyle Mayers (5 off 10), managing just 32 runs.
Soumya, eyeing a national team comeback, had a disappointing campaign, racking up just 89 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 104.70, with a highest score of 36.
Iftikhar and Saif then launched a counterattack. Saif hit Tahir for back-to-back boundaries in consecutive overs, and smashed a six off Shepherd, followed by two more from Iftikhar in the same over, fetching 19 runs.
In the 13th over, Iftikhar cleared the ropes again off Tahir, but disaster struck on the very next ball with the sprit-sapping run-out. The partnership of 73 off 44 balls ended as Saif departed for 41 off 26 (3 fours, 3 sixes).
That run-out sparked a domino effect. Rangpur lost five wickets for just 25 runs. Iftikhar was next to go, scoring 46 off 29. Azmatullah Omarzai (3 off 5) and Nurul Hasan Sohan (5 off 5) failed to deliver.
Needing 71 runs from the last 20 balls with just two wickets in hand, the task was monumental. Mahidul Islam chipped in with 30 off 17 (1 four, 3 sixes) to reduce the margin of defeat.
For Guyana, Dwaine Pretorius took a match-high 3 wickets. Tahir and Gudakesh Motie picked up two scalps apiece.
GUYANA'S BATTING BLITZ
Earlier, after winning the toss and choosing to bat, Guyana’s innings was powered by a blistering 121-run partnership off 70 balls between Johnson Charles and Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Despite losing Evin Lewis early to Syed Khaled Ahmed, who claimed his 11th wicket of the tournament, the Warriors bounced back hard.
Charles smashed 67 off 48 balls (11 fours, 1 six) before voluntarily retiring after 15 overs. Gurbaz contributed a quick-fire 66 off 38 balls with 6 fours and 4 sixes.
In the death overs, Romario Shepherd’s 28* off just 9 balls put the target well beyond Rangpur’s reach.
Scorecard summary:
Guyana Amazon Warriors: 196 for 4 in 20 overs (Charles 67, Gurbaz 66, Shepherd 28*, Iftikhar 1-12)
Rangpur Riders: 164 in 19.5 overs (Iftikhar 46, Saif 41, Mahidul 30, Pretorius 3-37, Motie 2-32, Tahir 2-39)
Result: Guyana Amazon Warriors win by 32 runs
