After failing in 2022 and 2015, Fortune Barishal finally beat the defending champions, Comilla Victorians in the final of the ongoing 10th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League by six wickets to claim their first BPL trophy at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on Friday.
Barishal skipper Tamim Iqbal led his side to the trophy from the front as the batter ended the tournament as the highest run-scorer of BPL 2024.
Tamim scored 492 runs in 15 matches with three fifties.
Earlier, Fortune Barishal skipper Tamim Iqbal opted to field first winning the toss and sent the Victorians to bat first when Andre Russell’s blasting 27 off 14 took Comilla Victorians to 154-6 meaning Fortune Barishal needed 155 to secure their first BPL title.
In return, Barishal reached the target with six wickets and six balls in hand.
Skipper Tamim and Mehedy Hasan Miraz gave Barishal a solid start as the duo made 76 runs in their opening stand.
When Tamim was out for 39 in Moeen Ali’s flighted delivery, Barishal were already on 76 after 8 overs.
Kyle Mayer’s 46 and Mehedy Miraz’s 29 took the Fortune Barishal to 144-3.
Needing 14 runs from 21 balls, Mahmudullah Riyad and David Miller safely took them over the target with six wickets and six balls in hand.
Earlier in the first innings, Comilla stumbled early as they lost their opener Sunil Narine in the first over for 5. Liton Das and Tawhid Hridoy kept the Victorians going as Tawhid looked dangerous with the bat.
Barishal pacer James Fuller brought the breakthrough as he trapped Tawhid in a overpitched offside delivery. The batter tried to swing it away but the ball tipped on the top of the bat which carried an easy catch for Mahmudullah Riyad on the third-man area.
After Tawhid was out for 15, Barishal took the control of the game as Comilla managed 49 runs in the powerplay losing 3 wickets.
After Liton Das and their Caribbean recruit, Johnson Charles was gone early, Mahidul Islam Ankon kept the scores going for the Victorians.
Mahidul Islam’s resilient 38 and Jaker Ali’s 20 helped the Victorians get over the pressure situation in the middle overs as the duo made a 36-run sixth wicket stand. Ankon made 38 off balls before returning to the pavilion.
Comilla’s Caribbean superstar Andre Russel played an blasting 27 off just 14 balls in the death overs to get them over the 150 mark.
The Caribbean hit four sixes in his innings.
James Fuller bagged two wickets for Fortune Barishal with the ball while Kyle Mayers, Mohammad Saifuddin, and Obed McCoy took a wicket each.
