Rangpur Riders endured a disappointing outing as they went down by five wickets to Rajshahi Warriors in a BPL friendly match at the Bashundhara Sports City Cricket Ground on Monday.

Coming to bat first, Rangpur struggled to build momentum and finished on a modest 136 for 5 from their 20 overs. Iftakhar Hossain Ifti led the batting with a patient 58 off 45 balls, anchoring the innings as wickets fell around him. However, the lack of support from the middle order prevented Rangpur from posting a competitive total. Towhid Hridoy contributed 26, while Mrittunjoy Chowdhury added a useful 21. Fazle Mahmud Rabbi (12) and Nurul Hasan Sohan (10) chipped in, but none were able to convert their starts into significant scores. Rajshahi bowlers Ripon Mondol and Saqlain applied pressure effectively, picking up two wickets each and keeping the scoring in check.

Defending a below-par target, Rangpur’s bowlers found limited assistance from the surface and struggled to apply sustained pressure. Abdul Halim stood out as the leading wicket-taker for the Riders, but Rajshahi’s batters kept the chase under control. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto led the way with a composed 34 off 32 balls, while Tanzid Hasan added a brisk 31 off 22. Akbar Ali finished the job with an unbeaten 25 as Rajshahi reached 139 for 5 in 18.1 overs.

For Rangpur, the match underlined the need for greater consistency with the bat ahead of the tournament proper, while Rajshahi will take confidence from a well-managed run chase.