Zakir powers Sylhet to victory, Dhaka extend hexa losing streak
Earlier, Dhaka, batting first, saw a resurgence from Litton Das, who rediscovered his form with a scintillating 73 off 43 balls.
Sylhet Strikers finally broke their losing streak with a thrilling three-wicket victory over Dhaka Capitals on 10 January in the 16th match of this year's BPL.
Zakir Hasan's explosive innings laid the foundation for Sylhet's first win, while Dhaka's dismal run extended to six consecutive losses, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the table.
Chasing a daunting target of 194, Sylhet stumbled early, losing Rakheem Cornwall on the very first ball. George Munsey managed a brief cameo of 11 runs before falling in the second over, and Aaron Jones departed soon after, leaving Sylhet at 42 for 3.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Amidst the chaos, Zakir Hasan launched a counter-attack that turned the game on its head. His blistering 58 off just 27 balls, featuring seven boundaries and three sixes, revived Sylhet's hopes.
By the time he was dismissed, Sylhet still needed 85 runs from 64 balls with five wickets in hand.
The middle order rose to the occasion, with Roni Talukdar (30 off 20) and Jaker Ali Anik (24 off 17) adding valuable runs.
Although both were dismissed in quick succession, Ariful Haque (28 not out off 15) and Tanzim Hasan Sakib ensured there were no further slip-ups, stitching together an unbroken 35-run partnership to seal victory with eight balls to spare.
Earlier, Dhaka, batting first, saw a resurgence from Liton Das, who rediscovered his form with a scintillating 73 off 43 balls, including 10 fours and a six.
Litton was well-supported by Munim Shahriar, who contributed 52 runs off 47 deliveries. Together, they added 100 runs in 12 overs, setting up a strong platform for Dhaka.
However, Dhaka's inability to maintain the momentum in the death overs proved costly. Despite late cameos from Sabbir Rahman (23 off 10) and captain Thisara Perera (18 off 9), their total of 193 seemed just short of a winning score on a batting-friendly surface.
Sylhet's bowlers deserve credit for keeping Dhaka in check. Rakheem Cornwall, despite being dismissed for a golden duck, made amends with the ball, taking 3 wickets for 27 runs in his four overs. Reece Topley and Tanzim Sakib also chipped in with a wicket each.
