Sylhet Titans Crushed Dhaka Capitals by 20 Runs in BPL Showdown at Sylhet

The Bangladesh Premier League 2025/26 season had another awesome game! Sylhet Titans took down Dhaka Capitals by 20 runs during the 18th match at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on January 8, 2026. Sylhet put up a good score of 180 for 6, and then their bowlers did a great job holding Dhaka to 160 for 8. Sylhet got two important points, which helped them move up in the standings. Dhaka has to get their act together.

Moeen Ali was the star, plain and simple. He smashed 28 runs off just 8 balls and bowled super well, taking 2 wickets for just 20 runs. He won Player of the Match and is number one in Cricinfo’s MVP rankings.

Toss and Field Stuff at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium

Dhaka Capitals won the toss and chose to field first because they wanted to use the early conditions. The pitch looked great for batting in Sylhet, the ball bounced well and it was good for hitting shots. The outfield was fast, which made it easy to score. Both teams took chances. Everyone watching got to see a fun game with lots of boundaries and great plays!

Sylhet Titans were in third place before the game, while Dhaka Capitals were struggling in fifth place. Dhaka really needed to win, but Sylhet was just too strong this time.

Sylhet’s Opening Guys Start Strong

Sylhet Titans sent Parvez Hossain Emon and Tawfique Khan to open. They came out swinging, kept the scoreboard moving, and punished bad balls. Parvez was on fire, timing the ball well and using the speed of the ball like mad.

Tawfique Khan played well, making sure they kept scoring. Together, they scored 48 runs for the first wicket, which was the best opening partnership ever for Sylhet in T20s at the time, beating their old score of 36. That got them set up for the rest of the innings.

Tawfique got out for 17 off 21 balls, and Parvez scored 32 off 24 deliveries, with five boundaries and a six. They made sure Sylhet started hot.

Ariful Islam Holds It Down

After the first two guys were out, Ariful Islam took over. He played a smart game, scoring 38 off 29 balls. Ariful found the gaps and kept rotating the strike to keep the runs coming without taking dumb risks.

Afif Hossain helped for a little while, but Afif couldn’t get going and was out for 6. But Ariful kept the innings together, so Sylhet could get a good total.

Omarzai and Moeen Ali Finish Big

Then Azmatullah Omarzai and Moeen Ali came to the crease and really sped things up. Omarzai smashed 33 off 23 balls, with power and smart shots. He hit three boundaries and a six.

Moeen Ali totally turned the game around. He hammered 28 runs off only 8 balls, with two fours and three sixes. He scored so fast in the last overs, Sylhet went from a good score to a tough one to beat.

Ethan Brookes and Mehidy Hasan Miraz added some quick runs too, so Sylhet ended with 180 for 6 after 20 overs. The last five overs were crazy.

Dhaka’s Bowlers Can’t Stop the Late Hitting

Dhaka Capitals’ bowlers had mixed showings. Ziaur Rahman was their best bowler, taking 3 for 35, including big wickets of Ariful Islam, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Moeen Ali. Imad Wasim bowled well, only giving up 20 runs in four overs and grabbing one wicket.

Taskin Ahmed and Ruyel Miah had trouble keeping the runs down. Taskin gave up 39 in just three overs, and Ruyel leaked 47 in four overs. Not stopping Moeen Ali cost them.

Dhaka Capitals Start Fast

Dhaka Capitals went after the runs hard. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Abdullah Al Mamun wanted to score quick to start. Abdullah hit 24 off 11 balls, with five boundaries, putting some pressure on Sylhet.

Gurbaz looked good, playing normal and fast shots. The pair hit 56 runs for the first wicket, which gave Dhaka a great start.

But when Ruyel Miah got Abdullah out, things turned around, and Sylhet’s bowlers got better super fast.

Dhaka Falls Apart

After that great start, Dhaka started to lose it. Nasir Hossain was out cheap, and Shamim Hossain was out after, and Dhaka was at 67 for 3. Sylhet saw a chance.

Saif Hassan tried to get things going with 22 off 14 balls, but that didn’t last. Mohammad Mithun, the captain, didn’t do much and Moeen Ali took him out.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz kept fighting, getting a good half-century with 51 off 44 balls. He hit three fours and two sixes, but no one else helped him much. Once Gurbaz got out at 104, Dhaka didn’t have a chance.

Moeen Ali and Salman Irshad Turn the Game

Moeen Ali was awesome with the ball, taking two important wickets and only giving up 20 runs. Salman Irshad was great, claiming 3 for 25. He got Gurbaz out at a big time.

Moeen and Salman pretty much ended Dhaka’s batting lineup and won it for Sylhet.

Sabbir Rahman Tries, But It’s Not Enough

Sabbir Rahman played well at the end with 25 not out off 16 balls, hitting two sixes and trying to keep Dhaka in it. Imad Wasim also added 12 off 8 balls, but it was too late.

Dhaka needed a million runs per over in the last overs, which wasn’t doable with good bowling. They ended up with 160 for 8, losing by 20 runs.

What It Means for the Standings

With this win, Sylhet Titans moved to 8 points from 8 matches.

Dhaka Capitals stayed on 4 points from 6 matches and dropped even further. They gotta get some wins soon.

Now Chattogram Royals, Rangpur Riders, Sylhet Titans, and Rajshahi Warriors all have 8 points, so it’s going to be wild for those top spots.

Moeen Ali Is the Man

Moeen Ali’s all-around performance was the thing to watch. His hitting gave Sylhet so much momentum, and his bowling was awesome. He was the best player out there.

He showed why all-rounders are so important in T20 cricket.

In Conclusion: Sylhet Plays Great as a Team

Sylhet Titans won against Dhaka Capitals by 20 runs because they played well all around. They did everything right.

Dhaka Capitals showed flashes but didn’t keep it going and lost wickets at bad times.

As the Bangladesh Premier League 2025/26 season goes on, Sylhet Titans will be pumped, and Dhaka Capitals needs to get it together to make the playoffs.