An insipid batting performance from Khulna Tigers meant they could only put 113-8 on the scoreboard against Dhaka Dominators in both team’s opening match of the ninth Bangladesh Premier League at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on Saturday.
Skipper Yasir Ali top scored for Khulna with 24 off 25 balls while Pakistani batter Azam Khan (18 off 12), local all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin (19 off 28), Sabbir Rahman (11 not out off 11) and Pakistani pacer Wahab Riaz (10 off three) chipped in with small contributions.
Dhaka captain Nasir Hossain had opted to bowl first after a 30-minute delayed start due to excessive fog.
His bowlers proved him right, with pacer Al-Amin Hossain leading the attack and finishing with 4-28. Nasir himself claimed 2-29 with his off-spin while left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny took 2-24.
Khulna’s innings got off the wrong foot, as they lost Sharjeel Khan (seven), Munim Shariar (four) and Tamim Iqbal (eight) inside the powerplay.
Azam tried to conjure up a counterattack, hitting three fours in his 12-ball stay, before Arafat rattled his stumps to reduce Khulna to 49-4.
Yasir and Saifuddin tried to build a base with a steady partnership. But both batters departed when their team needed them to accelerate.
Yasir hit Nasir for a six but got caught in the very next ball and Saifuddin lost his wicket to Al-Amin.
Wahab’s four and six in the last over against Al-Amin pushed Khulna’s total near 120.