MOMENTS

DON'T HIT RUBEL FOR FOUR

Khulna Titans' youngster Afif Hossain hit Rangpur Riders' Rubel Hossain for two fours in the third over. The ball after the second boundary was a bouncer that nearly took Afif's head off. The one-two punch was complete when Afif was bowled in the next ball by a yorker of pinpoint accuracy. In the 17th over, Mahmudullah Riyad hit his Bangladesh teammate for a four straight down the ground. One ball later, Mahmudullah was walking back as he skied a slower ball to deep midwicket. Ariful Haque hit a sliced boundary through point off the next ball, and off the next he was caught plumb in front with a fast and full delivery. BPL batsmen should now think twice about hitting Rubel for four. 

GAYLE FALLS FOR RIYAD'S BLUFF

In the third over, Rangpur Riders' Jamaican six-machine Chris Gayle was in a hurry to bring the asking run rate to heel. The second ball from Abu Jayed just managed to clear mid on for four. The third ball, a slower, caught the outside edge and ran away for four to third man. The next one was convincing, though, as it was deposited for over long off for a 106-metre six. Khulna skipper Mahmudullah had an extended discussion with his bowler. He then brought himself in from long on to mid on and dropped midwicket back, leaving long off out. Jayed went around the wicket and for all money it seemed that the ball would be on the pads, and Gayle thought so too apparently. He was stuck to the crease as Jayed bowled it wide outside off, and Gayle could only get an outside edge through to the keeper.

SOUMYA ZONED OUT, NURUL TUNED IN

In the third over of the night game, Chittagong Vikings opener Soumya Sarkar threw his bat at a Nasir Hossain delivery outside off but could only connect a bottom edge. The ball thudded into the pitch and bounced away to Sylhet wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan's left. Apparently clueless about where the ball had gone, Soumya walked out of his crease, but Nurul -- arguably the best keeper in the country -- was quick to grab the ball and whip off the bails, a pretty apt dismissal -- a batsman who can sometimes lose focus outdone by a keeper who is always on the ball.