‌BPL 2024 | Twitter lauds Omarzai’s all-round show as Riders leapfrog Comilla in final over showdown

SportsCafe Desk

BySportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

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Rangpur Riders get to back-to-back victories in the Sylhet leg as the thirties from Babar Azam, Fazle Mahmud, and Azmatullah Omarzai paved the Riders to a defendable total. Mahidul Islam Ankan’s fifty fell short as Hasan Mahmud and Omarzai’s excellent slog over bowling led to an eight-run win.

Going by the norm to bat first in Sylhet, Brandon King, and Babar Azam offered a watchful start to the Rangpur Riders inside the powerplay. Although,  the former did not last through field restrictions, the former Pakistan captain scored at a run-a-ball rate along with Fazle Mahmud to glue 55 runs second wicket stand. The Riders could gather just 69 runs halfway through the innings and soon after the drinks break Fazle followed suit Babar Khusdil Shah and Mustafizur Rahman capitalised on the exerted pressure. With 89/3 after 13.3 overs on the board, the lower order contributed 76 runs in the next 39 deliveries with Azmatullah Omarzai leading the assault with cameos from Mohammad Nabi and Nurul Hasan. Despite a couple of wickets during the slog overs, the Afghan all-rounder whacked three fours and a couple of sixes, summing up an unbridled 20-ball 36 to propel the Riders to 165/5 at the end of the innings.

In reply, Litton Das failed to give the desired start to the Victorians as he was dismissed for a golden duck carelessly early inside the powerplay. His opening partner, Mohammad Rizwan found it difficult to get boundaries but somehow ticked the scoreboard with good strike rotation. The Pakistani gloveman’s anchoring assist to Mohidul Islam Ankan did not last long after Mohammad Nabi outwitted him near the halfway mark of the innings. Subsequently, Ankan was supported by Towhid Hridoy as the tag team contributed 53 runs together with the former getting to a half-century. After 12 singles in as many deliveries between the 13th and 15th over, Ankan got out in an attempt to up the ante, courtesy of a brilliant catch from Babar Azam in the 17th over. While Khushdil Shah did whack two sixes the Riders’ bowlers had the last laugh with Azmatullah Omarzai and Hasan Mahmud bowling brilliantly in the slog overs. The equation was curtailed down to 29 runs required from the final over and it saw the wicket of well-set Hridoy (39 off 28 balls) and Aamer Jamal that acted as the final nail in the coffin to Comilla’s hope for victory. 

The Twitterverse followed this contest closely and here's how they responded.

Still living!

Big W!!

Interesting opinion

Good!

Victory!

The Babar Azam effect! 

Impactfull!

Congrats!

What a performance!

Only 1!

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