Rangpur Riders kicked off their Global Super League (GSL) journey with a narrow defeat, falling to Hampshire in a thrilling Super Over encounter on Thursday.
After winning the toss, Hampshire opted to bat first but struggled, getting bowled out for 132 runs in their allotted 20 overs. Shan Masood was the standout performer for Hampshire, scoring 56 runs, while Ali Orr contributed 28 and Tom Prest added 12. Rangpur's bowling attack was spearheaded by English pacer Zak Chappell, who delivered an outstanding performance, claiming 5 wickets for just 23 runs in his 4 overs. Harmeet Singh also made a significant impact with 2 wickets. In response, Rangpur Riders started strong with an opening partnership of 46 runs between Soumya Sarkar and Steven Taylor. However, once that partnership was broken, the innings lost momentum. Soumya finished with 27 runs, Nurul Hasan scored 24, Khushdil Shah added 25, and Steven Taylor contributed 20 runs. Despite their efforts, Rangpur fell short, leading to a Super Over to determine the winner. In the Super Over, Rangpur batted first and managed to score 12 runs for the loss of 1 wicket. Hampshire then successfully chased down the target with one ball remaining, sealing Rangpur's fate. Looking ahead, Rangpur Riders will face off against the Australian club Victoria in their next match scheduled for December 1.