Riyad’s Khulna triumph

The adage that says that you cannot buy experience was proved once again as Gemcon Khulna skipper Mahmudullah Riyad rose to the occasion on the biggest stage on offer and led from the front to lift his maiden domestic T20 trophy yesterday.

It was a cracker of a Bangabandhu T20 Cup final. Gazi Group Chattogram's Shykat Ali kept hopes alive till the end during their chase of 156, but the form team of the tournament fell short by just five runs.

Defending 15 runs in the last over, pacer Shohidul Islam held his nerve and dismissed the dangerous Shykat on 53 with a brilliant yorker to start the celebrations for Khulna. It was Mashrafe Bin Mortaza's fifth T20 title and his inclusion in the middle of the tournament seems to have worked as a lucky charm for Khulna.

Mahmudullah, however, did not leave it up to luck as Khulna's title owed much to his crucial, unbeaten 70, which he followed with outstanding captaincy when defending the middling 155-run total.

Considering Chattogram's form throughout the tournament, it was expected to be an easy chase but Mahmudullah and his team made sure there was no let-up in pressure.

Chattogram's success throughout the tournament had much to do with their in-form opening pair of Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar, but they failed in the all-important final as Suvagata Hom dismissed the latter for 12.

Skipper Mohammad Mithun also departed cheaply, trapped-leg before by Al-Amin Hossain for seven. Mahmudullah then rotated his bowlers smartly and managed to deny boundaries to Liton and the frustrated right-hander was eventually run out for 23.

Earlier, Khulna's ploy to go after the bowlers and use the Powerplay backfired after Jahurul Islam, who struck a blistering 80 in the first qualifier between the teams, was out off the first ball of the innings going for a big shot against off-spinner Nahidul Islam.

Khulna then lost another experienced hand in Imrul Kayes to the same bowler.

On 42 for two after the Powerplay overs, Khulna were searching for momentum but kept losing wickets -- Zakir Hasan and Ariful Haque, who was sent up the order to number four, departed in their twenties.

But then skipper Mahmudullah took over, fighting the lone battle of not just holding the innings together but also looking for those boundaries to post a fighting total. He made sure he made up for the absence of star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who left for the US after the first qualifier to be with his critically ill father-in-law.

The 34-year-old mixed aggression and calm to great effect and reached his first fifty of the tournament off 39 balls, but the job was not yet done.

The Bangladesh T20I skipper then launched himself on the Chattogram bowlers and, courtesy of his short-arm jabs, Khulna added 37 in the last three overs. Mahmudullah smashed Soumya Sarkar for 17 runs in the final over of the innings.

He remained unbeaten on 70 off 48 balls, which included eight fours and two sixes, as Khulna posted 155 for seven in 20 overs.

Gemcon Khulna: 155 for 7 (Mahmudullah 70 not out, Zakir 25; Nahidul 2-19, Shoriful 2-33)

Gazi Group Chattogram: 150 for 6 (Shykat 53, Liton 23; Shohidul 2-33, Al-Amin 1-19)

Result: Gemcon Khulna won by 5 runs

Player-of-the-final: Mahmudullah

Player-of-the-tournament: Mustafizur Rahman