Tag: BPL 2023

SYLHET: Pakistan’s veteran pacer Mohammad Amir has equalled Shahid Afridi’s record in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as he became the joint third-fastest to take 50 wickets in the league’s history.

Amir, who is representing Sylhet Superstars in the ongoing edition of the BPL, achieved the landmark in the home side’s fixture against Khulna Tigers on Monday.

The left-arm pacer struck on the first delivery of his second over as he deceived Mahmudul Hasan Joy with a slower delivery.

With his first wicket of the ongoing 30th match of the BPL, Amir joined the elusive list of bowlers, who took fewer innings to take 50 wickets in Bangladesh’s marquee league.

Former West Indian bowler Kevon Cooper leads the list as he achieved the landmark in just 30 matches, followed by his compatriot Dwayne Bravo (34).

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s star all-rounder Afridi, who was at the third spot, has been joined by countrymate Amir after the latter took 50 wickets in 35 BPL matches.

It is worth mentioning here that Amir has thus far, bowled two overs in the ongoing match and took one wicket at the cost of 17 runs.

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CHITTAGONG: Pakistan batter Iftikhar Ahmed fired all cylinders to go berserk and hit a 45-ball century to power his Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) team Fortune Barishal to a dominating 67-run victory over Rangpur Riders.

Put into batters, Fortune Barishal endured an early setback as they slipped to just 46/4 in the sixth over.

However, Iftikhar, coming out to bat at number six, turned the game on its head with his belligerent hitting and stitched an unbeaten record partnership with skipper Shakib Al Hassan.

The duo put on a record 192-run partnership for the fifth wicket and powered their side to a mammoth 238/4. Their unbeaten stand was the highest fifth-wicket partnership in the T20 format.

Iftikhar was the core aggressor of the game-changing fifth wicket stand as he struck a quickfire 100 off just 45 balls, hitting six boundaries and nine sixes.

Shakib, on the other hand, was also impressive as he scored 89 not out off just 43 balls and smashed nine boundaries and six sixes.

Young pacer Hasan Mahmud led the bowling attack for the Riders with 2/31 while Haris Rauf also picked two wickets but was expensive as he leaked 42 runs.

Set to chase 239, the Riders could amass 171/9 in their quota of 20 overs despite a vital 44-run knock of Shamim Hossain.

The Riders kept losing wickets at regular intervals amid the pursuit and none of their batters could go big.

Shamim (44) and Mohammad Nawaz (34) put on a brief fight amid their 57-run partnership for the seventh wicket but it was not enough.

Mehidy Hasan Mirza was the pick of the bowlers for Barishal as he picked 3/26, while Mohammad Wasim and Kamrul Islam claimed two wickets each.

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CHITTAGONG: Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan reached here via helicopter mere hours after reaching Dhaka and was named in the Playing XI for Comilla Victorians against Fortune Barishal.

Rizwan, who was busy on national duty amid the three-match ODI series against New Zealand till Friday has reached here today to play his first Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2023 fixture for the Victorians.

The right-handed batter enjoyed a successful series with the bat as he accumulated 182 runs in three matches and remained the top-scorer.

His brilliance, however, could not fire Pakistan to seal the series as Glenn Phillips’ brisk 66-run knock led New Zealand to a historic ODI series victory.

According to the details, briefly, after the conclusion of the home ODI series, Rizwan immediately left for the airport from the stadium and took a flight to Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka.

The wicketkeeper batter was poised to represent the Victorians in the ongoing edition of the BPL and the side made a desperate effort to get back on the winning track after two successive defeats by boarding him in a helicopter.

According to Bangladeshi media, Rizwan’s flight landed in Dhaka at 10:20 am (BST) and he then boarded a helicopter which landed at Women’s Sports Complex ground beside the Zahur Ahmed Chowhdury Stadium in Chattogram at 12:45 pm (BST).

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