The first week of the 2023-24 BPL season has seen an upset, a hat-trick, and two impressive chases. All eight matches have ended in successful chases, making for an exciting start to the tournament. Khulna Tigers currently lead the table with a better net run rate over Chattogram Challengers.
In their second match, Khulna Tigers successfully chased 188 runs in a convincing victory over Barishal, securing the win with eight wickets and two overs to spare. Shai Hope’s unbeaten 25 from 10 balls, combined with Anamul Haque’s composed 63 not out off 44 deliveries and Evin Lewis’ powerful 53 from 22 balls, led to Khulna’s impressive win.
Another notable chase saw Barishal successfully chase 135 against Rangpur Riders, taking the match to the final over. The clash between Bangladesh seniors Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal resulted in a disappointing battle, with Tamim managing just five runs from the first seven balls he faced from Shakib.
In another match, Sylhet Strikers managed to recover from a tough start, thanks to Benny Howell and Ben Cutting, ultimately posting 120 runs. However, Rangpur’s Babar Azam led his team to victory with a half-century and an undefeated stand of 88 with Azmatullah Omarzai.
During the first week of matches, Anamul Haque’s unbeaten 63 against Barishal stood out as the best innings. Nahidul Islam also made a significant impact with his four-wicket haul for Khulna against Chattogram, while maintaining an impressive economy rate of just 4.38 across two matches.
