Match overview
Rajshahi Warriors beat Noakhali Express by 4 wickets in the BPL at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on 8 January 2026. Noakhali Express batted first and posted 151/5, a total that looked competitive on paper but fell around 20 runs short of the venue's average first-innings score of 172 across 104 matches at this ground. Rajshahi Warriors accelerated from the outset, reaching 61/1 in the powerplay before their middle overs provided the platform to see the chase home. Waseem Muhammad took the Player of the Match award. The result leaves Noakhali winless in five consecutive BPL matches.
Noakhali's innings was built in stages rather than built at pace. A steady powerplay of 41 runs without loss matched the venue average exactly, but they never quite found the gear to push beyond it. Fifty-four runs from the middle phase and 56 from the death overs made the total respectable, though a batting unit of their calibre would have targeted something closer to 165.
Rajshahi's chase was largely controlled. The powerplay blitz of 61 from the first 6 overs gave them a significant head start. The middle phase brought 64 more runs for the cost of 3 wickets, keeping the asking rate in check. The final phase was tighter, 27 runs and 2 wickets in the death, which explains why the margin was 4 wickets rather than something more comfortable.
Venue and conditions
The Sylhet International Cricket Stadium is one of the more batter-friendly venues in Bangladeshi domestic cricket, though perhaps not as dramatically so as some. The average first-innings score of 172 across 104 T20 matches points to a surface that generally rewards positive intent, and the death-overs average of 36 runs per innings suggests the outfield and boundaries are reachable for strong finishers. Neither side fully exploited the scoring environment in this match.
The toss data here is significant. Across the 104 matches played at Sylhet, teams winning the toss have chosen to field 75 per cent of the time. Rajshahi Warriors followed that pattern on Thursday. Chasers go on to win 53 per cent of the time, making Sylhet a venue where chasing is a marginal but genuine advantage rather than a decisive one. The powerplay average at the ground is 41 runs, a figure Noakhali Express matched in their first innings and Rajshahi Warriors exceeded by 20 in the chase.
How to watch
The Bangladesh Premier League is broadcast in the United Kingdom through Sky Sports Cricket, with live and on-demand coverage available on Sky Go and NOW TV for subscribers without a full Sky package. BPL fixtures are generally scheduled for afternoon or early evening Bangladeshi Standard Time, which typically places them between mid-morning and early afternoon in the UK. Check the Sky Sports schedule for confirmed kick-off times in BST or GMT.
Recent form
Noakhali Express arrive at this fixture having lost all five of their most recent BPL matches. Their defeats span both the 2025 and 2026 editions of the competition, against Dhaka Capitals, Sylhet Titans (twice), Rajshahi Warriors, and Chattogram Royals. There are no wins in that run. That sequence of results makes their 151/5 here something of a par score relative to their recent output, but they need significantly more from their batting if they are to turn their season around.
Rajshahi Warriors have a more mixed recent record. They lost their most recent 2026 fixture against Rangpur Riders before this win, and their 2025 BPL campaign included a defeat to Dhaka Capitals alongside wins over Noakhali Express and Sylhet Titans. They are not a side in dominant form, but their head-to-head record over Noakhali is perfect, and the toss win at a friendly-for-chasing venue gave them a structural advantage they converted. Their next fixture will be a key test of whether this win marks a run of form or simply benefits from a weakened opponent.