Comilla beat Khulna to reach play offs

Comilla Victorians' 62-run victory over Khulna Tigers ensured that the repeat duel between the two sides tomorrow (a quirk of the BPL schedule) will be a must-win game for Khulna. 

Comilla were powered by Moeen Ali's 35-ball 75 as they put up a formidable 188 for 6. Khulna couldn't match Comilla with the bat, losing half their side in the first ten overs, and being bowled out in 19.3. Now they have to beat Comilla on Saturday to stay alive in the tournament. But even then, there's a chance that net run rate comes into play if Chattogram Challengers beat Sylhet Sunrisers in the first match tomorrow. Moeen struck nine sixes, the most in an innings during this year's BPL, in his first half-century of the tournament. It was also the second-most sixes Moeen struck in a T20 since his unbeaten 121 against Sussex in 2019. That innings contained 11 sixes. Litton Das gave Comilla quick runs at the top with his 17-ball 41. It was the highest strike-rate for a Bangladeshi opener with a 40-plus score in this season. He fell just after the powerplay, but had laid enough of a foundation for Moeen and Faf du Plessis, who added 83 for the fourth wicket. From the 13th over onwards, Moeen struck the ball cleanly down the ground. He struck seven of his nine sixes in the arc between midwicket and wide long-off. He whipped two sixes over backward square leg, and his only four was a straight hit off Thisara Perera. Moeen struck three sixes off Mahedi Hasan and Soumya Sarkar, taking apart Khulna's fifth bowling option.

In the chase, Mustafizur Rahman removed both openers Rony Talukdar and Andre Fletcher in the second over to deal Khulna a big blow. When Yasir Ali and Mushfiqur Rahim fell within five balls of each other, the game was all but over. Sarkar fiddled around for 22 off 25 balls before hitting an easy catch to Imrul Kayes at cover. The rest of the batting simply caved in. Left-arm quick Abu Hider took three wickets, while Nahidul Islam and Moeen took two each. Mushfiqur's on-field behaviour once again got a lot of attention after an incident in this game. Following Litton's dismissal, Mushfiqur shoved aside Khaled Ahmed when the young fast bowler tried to hug him. This could have been because Khaled had dropped Litton when he was on 32. It was similar to how Mushfiqur reacted with Nasum Ahmed after the two bumped into each other while taking a catch, during the Bangabandhu T20 in 2020. Interestingly in today's match, Mushfiqur had dropped a chance off Khaled's bowling. Litton, the beneficiary, was on 21 at the time.