Sylhet Skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, hoping to make an impact in the Powerplay against Rangpur Riders, found himself in a tight spot due to some sluggish running between the wickets. Despite the strategic move of elevating himself in the batting order, Mashrafe’s plan backfired.
The setback occurred in the fourth over after the early dismissal of Mohammad Mithun, prompting Mashrafe to step in at No.3. Displaying his attacking intent, the right-hander managed to score a boundary against off-spinner Mahedi Hasan. However, his aggressive approach led to a misjudged single, resulting in a run-out.
Mashrafe’s lapse was evident as he failed to drag his bat in, attempting to plant it inside the crease. Unfortunately, the ball dislodged the stumps after Mahedi’s fumble to collect the throw.
With Mashrafe departing after a brief stint scoring six runs, Yasir Ali fell victim to Mahedi soon after, contributing only nine runs. Sylhet struggled to reach 35 runs in the first six overs, putting them in a precarious position.
The situation worsened for the previous year’s runners-up when Zakir Hasan got stumped for just one run in the seventh over, courtesy of Mohammad Nabi.
In a prelude to these setbacks, Rangpur won the toss and elected to bowl first, setting the stage for the challenging innings faced by Sylhet.
