Rangpur Riders and Fortune Barishal led the BPL points table but were locked in a tight race for the other two playoff spots in the Chattogram phase of the tournament. Durbar Rajshahi and Dhaka Capitals have restarted their campaign and are closing in on the third spot, where Chittagong Kings have lost three of their last four games.
Khulna Tigers are currently fourth in the table with games in hand against the two teams below, but they will regret missing out on a golden opportunity to beat Rangpur. Sylhet Strikers are the only team still struggling, four points from the bottom.
Rajshahi began attacking the Chattogram bridge after players protested against being paid for skipping training sessions. However, they were the first team to beat Rangpur by 24 runs this season. Barishal beat Dhaka, Chittagong and Khulna in the Chattogram match.
Best batsman: Tanzid Hasan
Dhaka’s revival was led by their openers, with Tanzid Hasan hitting 62, 22 and 90 off 54 balls in three innings in Chattogram to follow up his century against Rajshahi in Sylhet. While scoring an unbeaten 90 against Chittagong, his 76 took him to 29, the most by a Bangladesh batsman in a BPL season.
Chittagong’s Graham Clark scored a stunning century, getting 101 off 50 balls against Khulna. Anamul Haque also scored a hundred (100 off 57 runs) against Khulna, but his innings ended in a loss to Rajshahi in a chase of 210 runs. Anamul’s teammate Yasir Ali scored 60 off 32 for 66 against Rangpur.
Pakistan’s speedy Akif Javed is becoming the revelation of the season. He is currently second on the wicket-taking charts with 15 scalps and an economy of 6.59. Javed, 24, clocked in at a speed as high as 140kph and took four wickets against Chittagong and three against Rajshahi, often using bouncers to good effect around the wicket.
Ryan Burl’s four-wicket haul was instrumental in Rajshahi’s big win over Rangpur. Some of the top spinners of the tournament also found success in Chattogram, with Tanvir Islam, Mohammad Nawaz, Arafat Sunny and Sunzamul Islam all taking three-wicket hauls.
Khulna’s 19-year-old left-arm spinner Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby conceded 27 runs in his only over against Chittagong. It was the second most expensive of the season after Kyle Mayers’ 30-run over against Rangpur.
Rajshahi performed poorly against Chittagong, posting 80, the lowest total in franchise history. In that match, Chittagong’s Naeem Islam became the second Bangladesh batsman after Mahmudullah to hit 50 after turning 38.
Rangpur finally lost this season after eight consecutive wins but remained four points clear of second-placed Barishal. The loss to Rajshahi saw Rangpur extend their winning streak to 11 games as they won the Global Super League title in Guyana.
Barishal has won three games in a row and is in second place, on the verge of qualifying for the playoffs. Chittagong, currently in third place, two points behind, will face tough games against Rangpur and Barishal. Khulna Tigers have moved up to fourth place, eight points clear of Rajshahi, but are ahead on net points percentage. Dhaka is also challenging for the playoffs despite having six points.
