Soumya Sarkar and Mahmudullah Riyad hit half-centuries as Fortune Barishal cruised to a comprehensive 40-run win over Durdanto Dhaka in their eight match of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on February 10.

Their fourth victory put them in the top four, replacing Khulna Tigers who also had eight points but moved down to fifth position due to poor net run rate. Dhaka, meanwhile, conceded eighth defeat in their ninth match, which knocked them out of the playoffs race as the first team.

Soumya blasted a six-laden 48 ball-75 not out while Mahmudullah hammered 73 off 47 as Barishal recovered from a precarious 19-3 to post 189-4.
 
Alex Ross only offered some resistance, hitting 30 ball-52 before Dhaka were bundled out for 149 in 19.4 overs. 

After electing to bat first, Barishal lost its captain and opener Tamim Iqbal in the second over. Taskin Ahmed then dealt double blow, removing Ahmed Shehzad (10) and Mushfiqur Rahim (1) in the same over.

But Soumya counterattacked in style to put Dhaka bowlers on sword while veteran Mahmudullah Riyad came up with ably support.

Both of them launched a spectacular attack to help the side hit back as they added 139-run for the fourth wicket and helped the side edge closer to 200-run mark.

Shoriful broke the partnership, getting the better of Mahmudullah who hit seven fours and four sixes in his knock. 

Soumya who suffered an injury during the knock finally was unbeaten after clattering four fours and six sixes. Shoaib Malik was 19 not out.

Taskin and Shoriful ended with two wickets after bowling full four overs.

Mohammad Saifuddin claimed 3-20 to wreck havoc on Dhaka batting line up to pave the platform of a victory with ease. The initial breakthrough came from Akif Javed who took the wicket of Sabbir Hossain before Obed McCoy dismissed Naim Sheikh for 12, giving him the rare failure in this season.
 
Alex Ross plundered the bowlers, but hardly got support from the others. 

After blasting 30 ball-52 with five fours and three sixes, he was dismissed in the penultimate over. SM Meherob was the other notable scorer with 28.

Bangladeshi wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim is set to feature for Fortune Barishal in the forthcoming Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Mushfiqur had played for Sylhet Strikers in the last edition. His price was fixed at 80 lakhs in the players' draft according to the category. Which means he was in 'A' category.

The top category player will play along with other star players like Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Khaled Ahmed in Fortune Barishal.

Neymar said he was relishing “new challenges and opportunities in new places” after he joined Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal Tuesday, becoming the latest big name lured to the oil-rich Gulf state.

The Brazil forward, 31, ends a six-year stay in the French capital and follows in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane in swapping Europe for the Middle East.

“I have achieved a lot in Europe and enjoyed special times, but I have always wanted to be a global player and test myself with new challenges and opportunities in new places,” Neymar said in a statement from the Saudi Pro League.

“I want to write new sporting history, and the Saudi Pro League has tremendous energy and quality players at the moment,” he added.

Neymar was “in negotiations” on Sunday to become the latest football superstar to decamp for Saudi Arabia, leaving Paris Saint-Germain just as Kylian Mbappe was brought back in from the cold by the French champions.

A source close to PSG told AFP that 31-year-old Neymar “no longer figures in the club or manager’s plans” with the Brazilian immediately linked to Al-Hilal in the Gulf kingdom.

Another source in Saudi Arabia said that “direct negotiations” between Neymar’s agents and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) were ongoing.