Fortune Barishal successfully defended their Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) title with a nerve-wracking three-wicket victory over Chittagong Kings in the grand final at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium today. With this triumph, they became the third team in BPL history, after Dhaka and Cumilla, to win consecutive titles.
Skipper Tamim Iqbal led from the front with a blistering 54 off 29 balls, becoming only the third captain, after Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Imrul Kayes, to secure back-to-back BPL championships. His explosive knock was crucial in Barishal’s record-breaking chase of 194, surpassing Comilla Victorians’ previous best of 175 in a BPL final.
Chittagong Kings, powered by unbeaten opener Parvez Hossain Emon (78*) and Khawja Nafay (66), set a competitive total of 194-3 on a batting-friendly pitch. However, despite a strong start, they faltered in the middle overs, ultimately falling short of the 200-run mark.
Barishal’s chase was a rollercoaster of momentum swings. Tamim and Towhid Hridoy (32) laid a solid foundation with a 76-run stand in just 8.1 overs before Chittagong’s Shoriful Islam struck twice in quick succession. Shoriful (4-34) continued his fiery spell, claiming key wickets, including Kyle Mayers (46) and Mahmudullah Riyad, to put Chittagong back in control.
With the game hanging in the balance, Rishad Hossain turned the tide in Barishal’s favor, smashing a crucial six off Binura Fernando in the penultimate over. In the final over, he launched another six off Hussein Talat before a wide delivery sealed Barishal’s title victory with three balls to spare.
Chittagong’s inability to accelerate in the middle overs proved costly, despite a late surge that added 51 runs in the last five overs. Emon remained unbeaten on 78 off 49 balls, but his anchoring effort wasn’t enough to push the total beyond Barishal’s reach.
For their triumph, Fortune Barishal were awarded Tk 2.50 crore along with the championship trophy, while runners-up Chittagong Kings received Tk 1.50 crore.
The electrifying final, played in front of a packed stadium dominated by Barishal supporters, was a fitting conclusion to this season’s BPL, marking another historic moment for Tamim Iqbal and his team.
