Mohammedan's title hopes dented by loss to Rupganj, Abahani survives rain delay to win

In a rain-affected day of the Dhaka Premier League (DPL), both Mohammedan Sporting Club and Abahani Limited experienced difficult matches. Mohammedan stumbled in their first Super League match, suffering a heavy 9-wicket loss to Legends of Rupganj. Meanwhile, Abahani triumphed over Agrani Bank by 4 wickets, but the match was also disrupted by rain.

Mohammedan's struggle against Rupganj

Mohammedan, who are in the race for the title, failed to capitalise on a strong start and were ultimately defeated by Rupganj. Batting first, Mohammedan posted 227 runs after losing 9 wickets. Farzana Haque and Sharmin Akhter provided a solid foundation with a 118-run partnership, but after their departure, the middle order faltered. Despite contributions from Nahida Akter (25) and Rabea Khan (23*), Mohammedan could not set a larger target.

In reply, Rupganj's chase started poorly, with Tanjid Hasan Tamim being dismissed for a duck. However, Soumya Sarkar and Saif Hassan steadied the ship, guiding Rupganj to victory with 9 wickets in hand in just 13.2 overs. Saif scored 55 runs, and Soumya remained unbeaten on 36.

Abahani's narrow win over Agrani Bank

In a rain-affected match, Abahani Limited chased down a revised target of 157 runs from 22 overs after a 4-hour delay. They had a difficult start with both openers, Parvez Hossain Imon and Shahriar Kamal, dismissed for ducks. Mohammad Mithun and Jisan Alam steadied the innings, with Jisan scoring 46 runs off 27 balls.

Despite a few setbacks, Shamsul Islam (25 off 18 balls) and Mahfuzur Rahman Rabi (20* off 12 balls) led Abahani to victory with 16 balls to spare. Agrani Bank posted 157 runs, with captain Imrul Kayes remaining unbeaten on 28 runs off 52 balls. Abahani's bowlers played key roles, ensuring the win despite the rain interruptions.

Gulshan defeats Gazi Group in a rain-hit match

In another rain-disrupted match, Gulshan Cricket Club defeated Gazi Group Cricketers by 3 wickets. Chasing a revised target of 162 runs in 22 overs, Gulshan reached the target with 33 balls to spare. Naeem Islam was the top scorer with 56 runs off 33 balls, hitting 6 fours and 2 sixes.

The result sees Gazi Group slip down to fourth place in the table, while Abahani's win takes them ahead of Mohammedan.

The rain delays have affected the first day of the Super League, but the results have reshuffled the standings. Abahani's victory pushes them ahead of Mohammedan, while Gazi Group drops to fourth after their defeat to Gulshan.