Rajshahi Warriors beat Rangpur Riders in Super Over thriller

Rajshahi Warriors staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Rangpur Riders in a Super Over after the regulation quota of overs ended in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Rangpur Riders seemed poised for victory, chasing 160 with confidence after half-centuries from Towhid Hridoy and David Malan in Rangpur on Thursday.

With eight wickets in hand, they needed just 22 runs from the last three overs.

SM Meherob sparked the fightback, conceding only two runs and snaring Kyle Mayers’ scalp in the 18th over. The penultimate over saw Khushdil Shah and Malan strike consecutive fours, adding 13 runs.

Entering the final over needing 7, Rangpur’s momentum stalled as Ripon Mondol bagged Khushdil and Nurul Hasan Sohan before Mahmudullah ran himself out -- forcing the Super Over.

Towhid, Mayers and Khushdil could only manage 6 runs in the Super Over, before Tanzid Hasan clubbed two boundaries to secure the unlikely win in style.

The thrilling finish marked the BPL’s first tied match since 2019, recalling encounters between Khulna and Chattogram, and the following year, Cumilla versus Sylhet.

Brief scorecard:

Rajshahi Warriors: 159/10 – Sabihzada 65, Shanto 41, Talat 6*; Ripon 1*

Bowling: Mayers 2-0-11-0, Al Islam 4-0-16-2, Fahim 4-0-43-3, Mustafizur 4-0-34-1

Rangpur Riders: 159/6 in 20 overs – Malan 63*, Hridoy 53, Litton 16

Bowling: Ripon 4-0-43-2, Meherob 4-0-17-2, Tanzim 4-0-30-1

Result: Match tied; Rajshahi Warriors won in Super Over

Man of the Match: Ripon Mondol