Bangladesh Premier League: Taijul Islam, Junaid Khan lead Khulna Titans to maiden win of the season

Taijul returned with impressive figures of three for 10 in his allotted four overs, while Junaid Khan went for 26 runs in his 3.5 overs. @ Getty Images

Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam and pacer Junaid Khan pocketed three wickets each to help Khulna Titans defend 128 and register their maiden win of this season s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Khulna defeat Rajshahi Kings by 25 runs at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Chasing a below par-score, Rajshahi kept losing wickets and had themselves to be blamed. Skipper Mehidy Hasan top scored with 23 as five players departed with single-digit scores. Arafat Sunny tried to revive the chase at the end, but it was too little too late after he was sent back by the Pakistan left-arm pacer Junaid for 13-ball 15. (ALSO READ: Rajshahi Kings beat Rangpur Riders by five runs)

Islam, who picked up the wickets of Hasan, Soumya Sarkar (2) and Ryan ten Doeschate (13), returned with impressive figures of three for 10 in his allotted four overs, while Junaid went for 26 runs in his 3.5 overs.

Earlier, the Titans too displayed a dismal batting performance with the top score of 26 coming from No. 7 batsman Ariful Haque. Isuru Udana, Mehidy and Sunny picked two wickets each but their efforts went in vain.

Brief scores: Khulna Titans 128/9 in 20 overs (Ariful Haque 26; Mehidy Hasan 2/21, Arafat Sunny 2/25) beat Rajshahi Kings 103 in 19.5 overs (Mehidy Hasan 23; Taijul Islam 3/10, Junaid Khan 3/26) by 25 runs