Dhaka Dynamites succumbed to the storm of Gayle in Mirpur, as Mashrafe marked his fourth championship in the Bangladesh Premiere League. Rangpur Riders emerged victorious defeating the “on paper” strongest team, in the final of the tournament held on December 12.
Starting the league with a squad consisting of big names like Sangakkara, Afridi, Narine, and Amir, the Dynamites were no doubt the most daunting team, led by none other than the best all rounder in the world, Shakib Al Hasan.
The first team to qualify for the final, however, couldn’t produce their best on the day and only managed to score 149, losing nine wickets. Rangpur won by 57 runs and earned the title to their name for the first time in the BPL history.
The match being played in Dhaka, the Dynamites had the home advantage but the crowd rooted for both the teams. Having Mashrafe as the captain, Rangpur Riders were a fan-favourite not only to the people of Rangpur, but to the Dhaka residents as well.
The cricket fans of Bangladesh love this man unconditionally, and no matter what the team is, everyone supports this one guy who has gone beyond the game with his diligent personality.
In the final match, Rangpur lost the toss and were put to bat first. The team fell into peril after losing Charles early.
But they ultimately had a solid opening partnership as Gayle rained sixes and McCullum was there to support him till the end, posting a massive total of 206.
None of the bowlers of Dhaka succeeded and proved expensive. Amidst helpless bowlers only Narine ended with a miser economy. Although Shakib took the only wicket and had bowled a maiden over, he too was hit over the fences in the 20th over.
Coming in to bat, Dhaka Dynamites were shattered while Rangpur bowlers starting with two wicket maiden overs dominated. Mashrafe had an auspicious beginning as the opening bowler and then came Shohag Gazi to contribute equally.
Losing the early wickets, Dhaka relied on Jahurul and Elvin Lewis who started aggressively to meet the required run rate. But Lewis got out early. Later, the Caribbean hard-hitter Pollard became Rubel’s prey. The defending champions had some hope left with Shakib and Afridi. But both the star players failed to carry on. Narine has surprisingly been seen in a batsman’s role recently in the IPL, and BPL also.
But coming to bat in an already lost situation, he couldn’t deliver much either. Shohag Gazi took three wickets, Udana and Nazmul both had two wickets each. The bowling side with overseas player Bopara as a spinner performed decently to ascertain the victory.
The cricket fans of Bangladesh love this man unconditionally, and no matter what the team is, everyone supports this one guy who has gone beyond the game
The Rangpur Riders’ wins were intermittent, having struggled with their performance in the matches. Despite not being the toughest opponent, they found their rhythm at the final stage. Having the key players like Gayle and McCullum at their best form played a vital role in their achievement.
Different players contributed to the wins in different matches for Rangpur. But the credit for their momentum in the end goes to Gayle, Charles, and McCullum. With Mashrafe leading from the front, a balanced Rangpur team aced all the important matches beating Khulna, Comilla, and finally, Dhaka.
Throughout the tournament, Gayle just couldn’t express himself with the bat like the “Six-Machine-Gayle” we know of. But who would have known that he was saving his best for the right time, and when he got going, it is needless to say how dangerous the man became on the crease.
In the first eliminator, the big guy paved the way for his team all by himself. He got out early against Comilla facing an injury, but had his flame on in the last game of the tournament.
Breaking all the records, Gayle becomes the first player to score 11,000 runs in T-20 cricket. He scored 146 hitting 18 sixes, making the record of both -- highest sixes hit and runs made by an individual in a T-20 final. Gayle opening with Charles and McCullum helped the batting side effortlessly demolish the opponent’s bowlers in their last three matches.
Mashrafe motivates a team by inspiring his mates, his influence as a captain is yet once again acclaimed.
Not only did he lead his team well and bowled incredibly tactfully, he also showed us his other side as a batsman in the tournament. Playing for Bangladesh, we enjoyed his cameos, but here in BPL, the batsman Mashrafe ensured important wins as a finisher.
Mortaza won all the BPL finals that he has played, and under his lead Dhaka and Comilla previously relished the title. Now Rangpur savours the glory of a champion, and Mashrafe adds to his record statistics as captain.
The fifth edition of BPL thus draws the curtains through an electrifying final, and hopefully will come back again next year. The league is becoming popular every year, but for Bangladesh it’s more about finding out the young and new potentials.
We have had some terrific finds previously, and this year too was a display of impeccable home talents competing with international players. If honed, groomed, and utilised properly, these new cricketers can bring glory to the nation that we for so long cherish.
Raihan Rahman Rafid is a freelance contributor.