That's all from this one-sided contest, folks! For now, it's me Deepak Prakash signing off on behalf of co-commentator Saptak Sanyal and scorer/analyst Raju Khariya. CHEERS!
Mohammad Mithun (Chittagong Kings Captain): "(On securing spot in playoffs) This was our primary goal when we started the tournament, and fortunately, everything has gone according to plan so far. We have the chance to finish in the top two, and if we play well, we will definitely secure that spot."
Shoriful Islam (Player of the Match): "Our batters put up a good score, and our aim was to stick to the basics and hit the right areas. Yes, very happy! We have dreamt of playing in the final, and if we perform well, we will definitely get there."
Player of the Match: Shoriful Islam
Time for the post-match presentation.....
Ariful Haque (Sylhet Strikers Captain): "First of all, we had to deal with a lot of injuries in this tournament, and our top order struggled throughout the season. Thatโs what went wrong for us. We need to select quality foreign players for the upcoming season and strengthen our local bowling unit as well."
9:09 PM IST, 9:39 PM Local Time: Chittagong Kings thump Sylhet Strikers by a massive 96 runs to secure their spot in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Sylhet Strikers, playing for pride in their final league stage game, failed to end their campaign on a high note.
Earlier, after being invited to bat first, Chittagong Kings lost Parvez Hossain Emon (1) and Graham Clark (1) cheaply inside 3 overs. Khawaja Nafay and Mohammad Mithun paired up in the middle and laid a solid foundation for the Kings. The pair notched up their fifties but failed to convert it into a big score, with both departing for 52 runs. The Kings lost a few wickets in quick succession at the tail end of the innings but Shamim Hossain (38) and Khaled Ahmed (25*) valuable runs propelled them to 196/8 in 20 overs. Tanzim Hasan Sakib shone with the ball for the Strikers, claiming three wickets. Ruyel Miah and Samiullah Shinwari bagged a couple of wickets each, while Sumon Khan contributed one wicket. In response to a hefty 196 runs, Sylhet Strikers got off to a shaky start and lost wickets at regular intervals from the outset. Zawad Abrar (2), Rony Talukdar (17), Zakir Hasan (19), and Aaron Jones (3) fell cheaply inside the first half of the innings. Shoriful Islam and Khaled Ahmed ran riot with the ball for the Kings, as the duo proved too hot to handle for the Strikers, claiming four wickets each. Eventually, the Strikers were bundled out for a paltry 100, succumbing to a crushing 96-run defeat.