Dhaka pip Comilla in last-over finish in BPL 2024 opener

Shoriful Islam registered a hat-trick and Mohammad Naim hit a match-winning fifty in Durdanto Dhaka's five-wicket win over defending champions Comilla Victorians in the 2024 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) opener on Friday. 

It looked like Dhaka would win the match easily but it got a bit tight towards the end but the home team prevailed in the last-over finish.

Shoriful was outstanding in his first spell, giving away only seven runs in two overs. After being belted for two sixes by Khushdil Shah in the final over, Shoriful immediately made a superb comeback by snaring three scalps in successive deliveries. 

Khushdil, Roston Chase and Mahidul Islam were Shoriful's victims. 

Shoriful became only the fourth Bangladeshi bowler to take a hat-trick in the BPL. Before him, Al-Amin Hossain, Aliss Al Islam and Mrittunjoy Chowdhury picked up BPL hat-tricks.

The left-arm seamer is also the seventh Bangladeshi bowler to have a T20 hat-trick. 

Taskin Ahmed gave him good support by picking up two wickets himself.

Chasing a modest 144, Dhaka openers made light work of Comilla bowlers. Naim got going after a 19-run over bowled by Musfik Hasan in the powerplay. While Comilla had a 44-run powerplay, Dhaka scored 56-0 after the first six overs to stay well ahead of the required run rate.

Naim started aggressively but slowed down a touch after the powerplay although it did no harm to his team's chances. 

The southpaw scored 52 off 40 balls with the help of three fours and as many sixes. The 101-run opening stand in 12.4 overs between him and Danushka Gunathilaka (41 off 42) pretty much sealed the match for Dhaka.

After the openers' fall, Comilla started pulling things back and at one stage, Dhaka needed 23 off three overs.

Wicketkeeper-batter Irfan Sukkur made a decisive 24 off 16 balls before getting out in the final over. Chaturanga de Silva hit an over boundary off Mustafizur Rahman to finish the chase with three balls to spare.

Mustafizur and Tanvir Islam took two wickets each.

Comilla Victorians posted a sub-par total of 143-6 after 20 overs batting first. Former Comilla captain Imrul Kayes and their new number three Towhid Hridoy did bulk of the scoring by forming a 107-run stand in 14.3 overs for the second wicket.

But the scoring rate of the partnership wasn't too high and lacked urgency when some acceleration was required. 

Kayes reached his half-century in 42 deliveries but could not put the foot down after the milestone. The southpaw eventually was dismissed for 66 off 56. 

Hridoy's 41-ball stay for 47 was not the most fluent one as he too struggled for timing.

Comilla failed to utilise the resources they had with the powerful Pakistan all-rounder and their designated finisher Khushdil was left too much to do with very few balls in hand.