Defending champions Fortune Barishal held their nerve in a thrilling final, chasing down a record target to retain their Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) title, defeating Chittagong Kings by three wickets at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Friday.
A brilliant partnership between Tamim Iqbal and Kyle Mayers guided Barishal towards their victory target of 194-3, the highest ever chased in a BPL final. Tamim’s 54 off 29 balls, including nine fours and a six, and Mayers’ explosive 46 off 28 balls, featuring three fours and as many sixes, set the platform for the chase. Rishad Hossain’s cameo (18 off six balls) completed the task with three balls to spare. Barishal’s chase surpassed the previous record of 175 set by Comilla Victorians in the BPL 9 final last year.
The contest was a nail-biter, with both teams displaying their batting prowess. Barishal were off to a fast start, reaching 76-0 after eight overs, but Chittagong’s Shorfiul Islam (4-34) sparked a fightback, taking two key wickets in the ninth over. His efforts continued with another double-wicket over in the 18th, leaving Barishal needing 20 runs from the final two overs.
Rishad’s first-ball six in the 19th over swung the momentum back in Barishal’s favor, though Chittagong responded by dismissing Mohammad Nabi. Despite this, Barishal managed to take 12 runs in the 19th over, needing just eight from the final six balls. With Chittagong penalized for a slow over-rate, they were restricted to four fielders outside the 30-yard circle in the final over. Rishad hit another six off Hussain Talat’s first delivery, sealing the victory and the title for Barishal with three balls remaining.
Earlier, Chittagong had set a formidable target, thanks to a record-breaking opening partnership between Khawaja Nafay and Emon. Their 121-run stand was the highest-ever in a BPL final, surpassing the 76-run stand set last year. Emon played a key role, accelerating the innings with two sixes in the fourth over and completing a 30-ball fifty. Nafay followed suit, smashing back-to-back sixes to bring up his half-century. By the 12th over, Chittagong were well placed at 115-0.
Barishal’s bowlers fought back in the middle overs, with Ebadot Hossain breaking the partnership by dismissing Nafay (66 off 44 balls). Despite Emon’s unbeaten 78 from 49 balls and Graham Clark’s 44 from 23 balls, Chittagong finished with 194-3, with Mohammad Ali’s tight spell (1-21 from four overs) being the standout for Barishal.
