Comilla Victorians, scoring 176 for 3 (with Charles unbeaten on 79 and Litton contributing 55), defeated Sylhet Strikers, who made 175 for 7 (featuring Mushfiqur’s 74* and Shanto’s 64) by seven wickets. Rubel took 2 for 39, and Mustafizur claimed 2 for 31.
Comilla Victorians successfully chased down a challenging target of 176 to secure their fourth Bangladesh Premier League title and second consecutive victory. Powered by fifties from Johnson Charles, who scored an unbeaten 79 off 52 balls, and Litton Das, who contributed 55 off 39, the Victorians defeated Sylhet Strikers by seven wickets with four balls remaining. This triumph capped off an impressive 11-match winning streak for the Victorians, who had started the tournament with three losses.
It was the fourth BPL title for Victorian coach Mohammad Salahuddin, who is quickly becoming a legend in Bangladesh. Although the Victorians struggled in the field, their stellar batting lineup ensured they crossed the finish line.
The Strikers were also worthy finalists, having advanced through the second qualifier by defeating Rangpur Riders. They scored 175, with Mushfiqur Rahim and Najmul Hossain Shanto each contributing impressive fifties.
A Frenzied Beginning
Shanto and Towhid Hridoy scored four runs off the first ball of the match after an overthrow from Mukidul Islam, who attempted to run out the non-striker Hridoy. On the successive two balls, Shanto hit consecutive fours, and Tanvir Islam’s overthrow on the final delivery of the over added five more runs for the Strikers. To cap it all off, Tanvir dismissed Hridoy on the first ball of the second over.
Strikers’ captain Mashrafe Mortaza moved up to No. 3 for the third consecutive game, a decision that now seems less surprising. However, Andre Russell dismissed him cheaply, and the Strikers couldn’t fully capitalize on their otherwise promising start. The Victorians added to the confusion when Sunil Narine let the ball slip through his legs at short third in the fourth over, giving Shanto an extra four runs.
Shanto, Mushfiqur Propel Striker
Only three Strikers batters reached double figures, including Mushfiqur Rahim with an unbeaten 74 and Najmul Hossain Shanto with 64. In the process, Shanto became the first Bangladeshi player to accumulate 500 runs in a BPL season.
Despite the chaos at the other end, Shanto gave the initial impetus, striking cleanly over the 30-yard circle during the powerplay against pace and spin. He partnered with Mushfiqur Rahim for a 79-run stand for the third wicket before being bowled by Moeen Ali. Mushfiqur continued strongly, remaining unbeaten on 74 and hitting Russell for a superb six—his third of the innings—in the final over.
Missed Catches and Lapses in Judgment
In addition to overthrows and misfields, the Victorians’ fielders dropped six catches. Mustafizur Rahman was responsible for two, including a problematic chance at short fine leg when Shanto was 29. His second drop, a straightforward catch of Ryan Burl when the batter was on 1, was particularly glaring. He misjudged the easy catch so severely that the ball almost struck his head.
Imrul Kayes also missed a straightforward catch at midwicket when Shanto was on 37, a chance the Victorians’ captain botched. Moeen and Litton dropped George Linde on consecutive balls at long-on and long-off, respectively. Eventually, Litton caught Linde, dismissing him for 9 in the 18th over. However, on the final delivery of the innings, there was another lapse in judgment: Litton caught Mushfiqur and under-armed the ball back towards the pitch, only to realize at the last moment that it was a free hit.
Litton Redeems Himself for Fielding Mistakes
Opening the batting during the run chase, Litton gave the Victorians the rapid start they needed, especially after their pinch-hitter Narine was out in the third over. Litton combined aggressive shots on the leg side with clever placements through gaps on the off side.
Charles Tightens the Grip
When Litton left, the Victorians needed 72 runs from 44 balls, and Charles was 33 off 29 deliveries. He managed six more runs from his successive ten balls, increasing the required rate to 13 per over for the last four overs. Rubel Hossain began the 17th over, with Moeen hitting the first ball for a six.
After a dot ball and a single, Charles came to the crease, with the team still needing 45 runs for victory. He then smashed the last three balls of the over for 6, 6, and 4, each hit with immense power. This reduced the target to a more manageable 29 runs needed from the last three overs.
The Strikers remained in contention when the Victorians could only score eight runs in the 18th over, leaving them needing 21 more runs from 12 balls. However, Charles launched Luke Wood for consecutive sixes at the start of the 19th. He followed with a four three balls later, making the final over, in which they needed just three runs, a mere formality.
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