Bangladesh’s national team captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, made a remarkable comeback from injury with a scintillating knock of 78 off 48 balls in the National Cricket League (NCL) T20. His performance guided Rajshahi to a commanding 26-run win over Sylhet at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

Opting to bowl first, Sylhet initially struggled as Rajshahi’s openers Habibur Rahman Sohan and Najmul Hossain Shanto laid a solid foundation with a 52-run stand. Habibur’s quickfire 25 off 14 balls set the tone, but it was Shanto who anchored the innings brilliantly.

Sabbir Hossain’s explosive 30 off 14 balls added impetus to the scoring, while Towhid Hridoy chipped in with 21 runs off 17 balls. Shanto, inching towards a century, was eventually dismissed for a well-crafted 78 off 48 balls, including several elegant boundaries. Rajshahi finished their innings at 181/8 in 20 overs, with Nihaduzzaman contributing an unbeaten 10 off 10 balls at the end.

Sylhet’s bowling unit saw Syed Khaled Ahmed pick up three wickets, while Ebadot Hossain and Tofael Ahmed claimed two wickets each.

Chasing 182, Sylhet got off to a flying start thanks to opener Jishan Alam. The young talent played an exceptional knock of 60 runs off 32 balls, keeping Sylhet in the hunt early in the innings. However, Jishan’s dismissal at 91 triggered a collapse, and Sylhet couldn’t sustain the momentum.

Pinak Ghosh fought valiantly with a 27-run cameo off 21 balls, but the rest of the lineup faltered. Sylhet managed 155/8 in their 20 overs, falling short by 26 runs.

Rajshahi’s Asaduzzaman Payel was the star with the ball, claiming four crucial wickets to derail Sylhet’s chase.