Khulna Titans registered the 4th win in their 7th match of the seven-team franchised-based Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20 Cricket beating lowly Rajshahi Kings by two wickets at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium at Mirpur in the city on Tuesday.
After the match, Dhaka Dynamites and Khulna Titans have secured nine points each from seven matches, but Dhaka Dynamites were in the 2nd place by virtue of better run-rate (+1831) while Khulna Titans were in the 3rd slot with a run rate (-0.045). Comilla Victorians dominated the league table collecting 10 points from six matches.
With the day's 5th defeat in their seven league encounters, Rajshahi Kings remained at 6th slot with their previous credit of four points, only ahead of Chittagong Vikings, who bagged three points from six matches.
Sent in to bat first in the day's match, Rajshahi Kings scored a fighting total of 166 runs for 8 in stipulated 20 overs, featuring 76 runs in the 3rd wicket stand by West Indian opening batsman Dwayne Smith and Bangladesh Test captain Mushfiqur Rahim.
Pakistani left arm pacer Junaid Khan made the first breakthrough in Rajshahi innings grabbing two quick wickets of opener Mominul Haque (5) and English batsman Daniel Bell Drummond (0) for 12 runs in the span of only two balls in his very first over (1.3 and 1.5 over).
Rajshahi Kings' misery was further aggravated when two down batsman Zakir Hasan returned to the dressing room with a duck, caught by S Prasanna, off a Abu Jayed delivery, leaving team total at 21 for 3 in 3rd over.
In a crucial situation, opener Dwayne Smith pairing with Mushfiqur Rahim repaired the early damage contributing 76 runs in the 4th wickets stand carrying Rajshahi Kings in a respectable position of 97 runs from 21.
Dwayne Smith quick-fired 36-ball 62 runs hitting seven four and four sixes while number five batsman Mushfiqur Rahim contributed 33-ball 55 with four hits to the fence and three over the fence.
Kiwis batman James Franklin, came to bat in number six, added an unbeaten 29 runs off 27 balls with a boundary, was the other Rajshahi batsman reaching the double figure.
Pakistani Junaid Khan, who made an early breakthrough, finally grabbed four wickets for 27 runs in his four-over spell while Abu Hayed took two for 29 runs.
Chasing a moderate target of 167 runs, Khulna Titans reached ultimate goal scoring 168 runs for 8 with four balls to spare (19.4 overs).
