In the 2019-20 Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) season opener, Chattogram Challengers beat Sylhet Thunder.

This proved to be an excellent encounter for the fans and both sides gave some praiseworthy performances. But in the end, in a close encounter, Challengers won the match by five wickets.

Challengers won the toss and decided to bowl. The bowlers proved the skipper’s decision right.

Rubel Hossain bowled a brilliant outswinger which took the bat’s thick edge and went straight into the wicketkeeper’s gloves.

Mohammad Mithun Played an unbeaten knock of 84 runs

On the other hand, Johnson Charles looked in great touch, scoring 35 runs with seven boundaries off 23 balls. The moment the West Indian batsman began to look threatening, the left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed got him out to disrupt the Thunder’s momentum.

Mohammad Mithun thrashed the bowlers in all directions, though he didn’t get help from the other end. Thunder seemed to be putting up a score of 180 at one point, but the ingenuity of Challengers restricted them to 162 runs in the stipulated 20 overs.

Mithun played a swashbuckling knock off 84 not out off 48 deliveries, which included five sixes. Mosaddek Hossain contributed 29 runs, but they came off 35 balls.

The Challengers got off to a poor start and lost their opener Junaid Siddique and middle-order batsman Nasir Hossain in the fourth over of the innings off consecutive balls of Nazmul Islam. His bowling was top-notch and it was hard for the batters to play strokes against the spinner.

They lost the settled opener, Avishka Fernando, in the sixth over of the innings as he was caught by Krishmar Santokie off Jeevan Mendis. He scored 33 runs off just 27 balls with four boundaries and three sixes.

Imrul Kayes (61) and Chadwick Walton (49) stitched a brilliant 86-run partnership in the latter part of the innings and led their side to a victory.

It turned the tide for Challengers, who were fighting at 64/4 at one point. Kayes was caught by Santokie off Ebadot Hossain before he could finish the match for his side.

He scored 61 runs off 38 balls with two boundaries and five sixes and turned out to be the main reason behind Challengers chasing down the target with six balls spare. 

Walton also made a good contribution with the bat and scored 49 runs with three fours and two sixes in 30 deliveries.