BPL glory up for grabs

Chattogram Royals enter the final of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20 on Friday with a slight advantage over Rajshahi Warriors, as the tournament prepares to crown a new champion. 

The very participation of Chattogram was in doubt earlier, after the team’s owners sought to hand it over to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). However, following BCB’s takeover, Chattogram staged a remarkable turnaround, securing a place in the final with a victory in the first qualifier.

The title-decider of the 12th edition now pits Chattogram, primarily built off local talents, against Rajshahi’s local and foreign prowess. Chattogram mentor Habibul Bashar had said that after BCB took over operations, the appointments of fresh coaching staff and personnel helped the team galvanise.

Inexperienced captain Mahedi Hasan rose to the occasion, having a significant impact with both bat and ball this tournament. Shoriful Islam enters the final as the leading wicket-taker with 24 wickets.

“Everyone has played their roles. The management and the senior players have handled things well, especially in terms of motivation and mental preparation. That’s why everyone has been able to play good cricket,” Mahedi said during his press conference yesterday.

With 15 wickets, Mahedi enters the final as a key factor as an all-rounder, apart from his captaincy role, and reiterated they want to win.

“Since we have reached the final, why wouldn’t we dream of winning the title? Every player wants to lift the trophy. The team that performs better on the day, in all departments, will win it,” he said.

He also heaped praise on Rajshahi, but having won two of the three matches they played against Chattogram, Mahedi felt they studied their opponents well. “I liked Rajshahi the best among the teams this year.

“They are one of the best teams, but we have learnt a lot about them from the three matches we played and we have studied them well. If we can apply ourselves well, it can favour us,” he said.

At the other end of the spectrum, Rajshahi had found solidity and also key performances when it mattered. Their captain Najmul Hossain Shanto himself has been one of the top run-scorers in the tournament alongside veteran Mushfiqur Rahim. They also added Jimmy Neesham and Kane Williamson late on, the Kiwi duo already having an effect in the second qualifier against Sylhet Titans.

Shanto was keen on sticking to plans, having showcased level-headed captaincy in his first stint as a skipper in the BPL.

“We’re very happy, but we still have to play good cricket. We won’t think about the result -- we’ll stick to our process and try to execute our plans. A final is a big occasion, of course, but we need to stay calm and clear-headed,” he said.