Mithun eyes NCL T20 crown for Khulna

Bangla Press Desk:   Khulna captain Mohammad Mithun said his team is determined to bring back glory to the division by winning the National Cricket League (NCL) T20 title, ending a long trophy drought in domestic cricket.

Khulna, once a dominant force in Bangladesh’s first-class circuit, have not won a major domestic title in recent years. 

Mithun’s side now has the chance to change that when they face defending champions Rangpur in Sunday’s NCL T20 final at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

“Rangpur have been playing really good cricket and they are the defending champions, so they deserve respect,” Mithun told reporters on the eve of the final. “But we also have an experienced and balanced team. It’s been a long time since Khulna won a trophy, and we are determined to bring this one home.”

Mithun, who led Chittagong Kings to the runners-up finish in the last Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), said the motivation to win has been there from the very start of the tournament.

“From day one, every player in our team has been motivated to win this trophy. We want to gift this title to Khulna,” he said.

While no Khulna player features among the top five run-scorers in the tournament, only Sheikh Parvez Rahman Jibon appears in the top five wicket-takers with 10 wickets in six innings. 

Mithun believes that collective contribution, rather than individual brilliance, has been the key to their success.

“We didn’t reach the final because of any single performance. It’s been a team effort all along,” he said. “We’re not dependent on one or two players. We trust our entire squad. Whoever steps up tomorrow, we’ll be happy.”

BP/TD