Hasan Mahmud pulled things together for Khulna Tigers in the death overs to snatch victory from the claws of defeat as even an Anamul Haque Bijoy ton came in vain for Durbar Rajshahi.

Chasing 210, Jishan Alam gave a flying start with a 15-ball 30. Bijoy got a stroke of luck when he was dropped by Afif Hossain off the bowling of Mohammad Nawaz on 7. He proceeded to take the game away from Khulna with some scintillating strokeplay. A 58-run stand with Yasir Ali (20) saw Rajshahi maintain the required-rate before Bijoy stitched together a 73-run stand with Ryan Burl.

It was death bowlers Salman Irshad and Hasan who however held sway with Bijoy close to a ton. Khulna needing 25 off the last two overs, managed just 8 off the penultimate over while also picking up Burl for a 16-ball 25.

It left Hasan to defend 17 in 7 deliveries. Bijoy manufactured a four off the first delivery but Hasan came back strongly with two dots in the next four deliveries, conceding 4 more. It left Khulna with an improbable 9 runs required in the last delivery. Bijoy, on 99 pushed the final delivery to mid on for a single to complete a 57-ball ton as Khulna celebrated their first win in four matches, clinching the game by seven runs. Hasan finished as the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 25 in four overs.

Earlier, big wides and undisciplined bowling, particularly from Mrittunjoy Chowdhury marked the end of the Khulna Tigers innings where Khulna's Mahidul Islam Ankon capitalised.

Mohammad Naim and Mehedi Hasan Miraz provided a brisk 42-run stand in the Powerplay before Jishan provided the breakthrough in the fourth over. Taskin was once again on mark, removing Miraz after a 13-ball 26. New recruit Alex Ross, fresh from playing the BBL, fell to a run-out to leave Khulna in a bit of a bother at 3 for 60 after the Powerplay.

Afif Hossain and William Bosisto provided the platform for a big score, stitching together a 113-run stand in 71 deliveries. Taskin thwarted Afif from accelerating at the death, removing the left-hander for a 42-ball 56 after he looked to ramp it over third-man, Mrittunjoy keeping it together to hold on to the catch after an initial fumble.

Khulna needed big overs and they got that in the last two. Ankon took Mrittunjoy to the cleaners in the first two deliveries, hitting two big sixes. There were two big wides and the another delivery was so wide, it was called a no-ball. The over finished with nine deliveries bowled, 19 conceded.

Ankon took on Taskin too in the final over, hitting sixes in between being dropped by wicket-keeper Akbar Ali. With 35 produced in the last two overs, Khulna posted a strong 209 for four.