ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Khawaja Nafay dazzled with a match-winning fifty to guide the Chittagong Kings into the final of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The young batter led his team from the front with a match-winning knock of 57 runs off 46 balls.
During the second qualifier, the Khulna Tigers batted first, managing to post a total of 163 runs for the loss of six wickets in their allotted twenty overs at Mirpur. However, their innings got off to a nightmarish start, losing four wickets for a mere 42 runs within the first nine overs.
It was the resilient partnership between Shimron Hetmyer and Ankon that salvaged the Tigers’ innings, contributing significantly to a more respectable total. Hetmyer emerged as the star of the innings, smashing 63 runs, while Ankon added a valuable 41 before his dismissal.
On the bowling front, Binura Fernando shone for the Kings, claiming two wickets, with Shoriful Islam, Al Islam, Khaled Ahmed, and Arafat Sunny each chipping in with a wicket of their own.
As the Kings set out to chase 164, they faced an early setback when Parvez Hossain Emon was dismissed for just four runs. His opening partner, Khawaja Nafay, soon found himself alongside Graham Clark, who also fell victim to the bowling attack after scoring four.
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The momentum shifted when Pakistan all-rounder Hussain Talat joined Nafay, and together they built a formidable partnership, adding 70 runs to the scoreboard and lifting the Kings to 135. Talat’s impressive innings came to an end at 40 off just 25 balls, courtesy of Nasum Ahmed.
Meanwhile, Khawaja Nafay reached his half-century, scoring 57 runs off 46 deliveries, adorned with three sixes and four fours, placing his team in a commanding position.
In a nail-biting finish, with wickets tumbling, it was Al Islam who struck a boundary off the final ball, sealing a dramatic victory for the Chittagong Kings by two wickets and ensuring their place in the BPL final.
Khawaja Nafay’s impact in BPL 2024-25
The 22-year-old batter has been in outstanding form for Chittagong Kings in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League. He has scored 135 runs from four innings at a strike rate of 139 and an average of 133, proving to be a reliable middle-order batter for his team.
