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Najmul Shanto 100 blows away Sylhet Titans in BPL 2025-26 opener

Soumyajit Dutta

Najmul Hossain Shanto batting for Rajshahi Warriors [Source: @rajshahi.warriors/Instagram]Najmul Hossain Shanto batting for Rajshahi Warriors [Source: @rajshahi.warriors/Instagram]

The inaugural clash between Sylhet Titans and Rajshahi Warriors in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025–26 turned out to be an absolute thriller. The match, played in Sylhet on December 26, was a nail-biter, with Warriors captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto pulling off a massive chase almost single-handedly.

As Rajshahi went on to win the contest by eight wickets, let’s take a look at how the action unfolded on the first day of the mega contest.

Rajshahi Warriors chase Titans' target with two balls remaining

Chasing Sylhet Titans’ target of 191, Rajshahi Warriors endured a shaky start as Tanzid Hasan was dismissed in the third over.

Sahibzada Farhan, the Pakistan star batter and Warriors opener, was also sent back by Mehdi Hasan Miraz for just 20 runs in the eighth over, leaving the Warriors reeling at 62 for 2. However, the momentum shifted when skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto walked in after Hasan’s dismissal.

Shanto’s century writes fate for Sylhet Titans

Shanto played a steady yet explosive knock to register a century and later formed a decisive partnership with Mushfiqur Rahim, who also scored a fifty, as Rajshahi cruised to victory.

After bringing up his half-century in 36 balls, Najmul Hossain Shanto accelerated sharply to reach his hundred in the next 22 deliveries, driving the Warriors to a win. Mushfiqur completed his fifty off 31 balls and proved to be a reliable partner alongside the skipper as the team registered their first win of the tournament.

The Titans bowlers were largely spectators during Shanto’s onslaught, with Mehdi Hasan Miraz bearing the brunt after conceding 39 runs from his three overs. Khaleel Ahmed also picked up a wicket but proved expensive, leaking 30 runs in his spell.

Saim Ayub-Rony give brisk start to Sylhet

Sylhet Titans started decently with Saim Ayub and Rony Talukdar opening the innings. Ayub played a brisk knock, scoring 28 runs off 15 deliveries before being dismissed by Binura Fernando in the fifth over.

Hazratullah Zazai, who walked in after Ayub, followed soon after in the ninth over, leaving the Titans reeling at 68 for 2 at the end of nine overs. Rony Talukdar held the innings together with a steady anchoring knock of 41 runs, pushing the Titans past the 100-run mark.

Emon-Hossain stand not enough in front of Rajshahi

However, the Titans underutilised the powerplay, managing only 45 runs in the first six overs. The middle overs were also shaky, yielding just 93 runs. However, the final overs were capitalised on by Parvez Hossain Emon and Afif Hossain, who added 86 runs for their partnership and plundered 52 runs in the death overs alone.

This surge helped the Titans post a solid total despite a disciplined bowling effort led by Sandeep Lamichhane for the Rajshahi Warriors. Lamichhane picked up two wickets, while Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Binura Fernando claimed one each to keep Sylhet in check.