![Chattogram Royals won by 6 wickets to reach BPL final [Source: Fancode]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1768924599934_ChattogramRoyalsBPL.jpg?type=hq)
Chattogram Royals won by 6 wickets to reach BPL final [Source: Fancode]
In a battle of the top-2 teams of the Bangladesh Premier League 2025/26, Rajshahi Warriors faced Chattogram Royals on January 20, in Mirpur, to determine the first finalists of this season.
Heading into the match, the table-toppers Rajshahi Warriors had won 8 and lost only two matches in the league stage to comfortably qualify for the qualifier, while Chattorgam Royals had six wins and four losses to their name and had to rely on the net run-rate to qualify over Rangpur Riders.
Interestingly, on the big day of the qualifier, the Chattogram-based team turned up and kept the Warriors on the back foot throughout the game to book their place in the final by a 6-wicket win. Below is a brief breakdown of how things unravelled in Mirpur.
Captain Mahedi Hasan inflicts a Warriors collapse
Upon winning the toss, Mahedi Hasan asked the Najmul Hasan Shanto-led Warriors to bat first on a helpful deck for the bowlers. While Sahibzada Farhan and Tanzid Hasan started cautiously, with 21(19) and 41(37), respectively, the bowling attack managed to constantly build pressure on them.
Farhan fell in the 6th over to a Tanvir Islam delivery, which was caught by Hasan Nawaz. What followed was a chaotic collapse from the 9th over onwards, where captain Mahedi took the onus to dismiss Shanto and the legendary Mushfiqur Rahim on successive balls, to reduce them to 49/2.
After coming in to bat at 67/4, in the 12th over, Abdul Gaffar Saqlain’s cameo of 32(15) with two fours and three towering sixes took his team to a respectable total before they got all out for 133 in 20 overs.
Hasan and Aamer Jamal picked 2/20 (4) and 2/27 (3) as the pick of the bowlers, while five other bowlers scalped a wicket each.
Naim and Baig set up a thrilling run-chase
After a below-par first innings total to chase down, the openers Mirza Baig and Mohammad Naim started slowly for their 64-run opening stand, taking 11.3 overs before the Warriors could strike the first blow. Naim, who got 30 off 38 with three fours, was dismissed by Abdul Gaffar Saqlain and caught by Tanzid Hasan, and the momentum shifted as Hasan Nawaz walked in.
Nawaz took an over to settle down before unleashing and striking two sixes off Ripon Mondol, when the required rate was starting to creep up and brought the game back within their grasp, before he was dismissed for 20 off 14 by Hasan Murad.
As the game reached the final five overs, opener Baig stuck to the end and tried to take his team past the total. He was joined by Asif Ali, who released some pressure with a six over James Neesham at long off to bring the equation to 23 needed off the final three overs; however, as he tried to take on Saqlain in the next over, he was caught at deep mid-wicket, and captain Mahedi Hasan had to come out to help his team out.
Hasan took the responsibility and scored a crucial six off Binura Fernando and subsequently scored a match-winning 19*(9). While trying to take down the bowler, the set Baig was caught by Shanto at long on and had to walk back at 45(47). The last over thriller was eventually clinched by 6 wickets as they make way to the BPL 2025/26 final.
