Sabbir Hossain :
A magnificent, unbeaten 146 by Chris Gayle powered Rangpur Riders to clinch the AKS Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Twenty20 Cricket title beating Dhaka Dynamites by 57 runs in the final at the flood-lit Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in the city’s Mirpur on Tuesday.
Chris Gayle hits 18 sixes and five fours in his terrific 69-ball innings. It was Gayle’s 20th T20 century. Gayle was adjudged the Man of the Match for his outstanding innings. He was also adjudged the Player of the Tournament for his consistent batting performance.
Sent into bat first, Rangpur Riders piled up a massive total of 206 for the loss of only one wicket in the allotted 20 overs and then restricted Dhaka Dynamites to 149 for the loss of nine wickets in 20 overs.
Rangpur Riders had an unhappy start as opener Johnson Charles (3) was caught and bowled by Shakib Al Hasan when Rangpur’s score was just five.
Then Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum paved their path smooth contributing together 201 runs for the unbroken second wicket partnership.
Brendon McCullum remained unbeaten with 51. His 43-ball innings saw four fours and three sixes. It was McCullum’s 45th T20 half-century.
Shakib Al Hasan got one wicket conceding 26 runs.
Later, Dhaka Dynamites faced a disaster as they lost four wickets for 29 runs.
Then Shakib Al Hasan and Jahurul Islam built a notable partnership. They put on together 42 runs in the fifth wicket stand before Shakib Al Hasan (26) was cleanly bowled out by Nazmul Islam when Dhaka’s total was 71 for the loss of five wickets.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Jahurul Haque alone fought back against the tight and controlled bowling attack of Rangpur Riders.
Jahurul Haque hit 50 from 38 balls featuring four fours and two sixes. It was Jahurul’s seventh T20 half century.
Jahurul was bowled out by Isuru Udana when Dhaka’s score was 132 for the loss of nine wickets.
Nazmul Islam, Isuru Udana and Sohag Gazi bagged a pair of wickets each at the cost of eight, 25 and 32 runs respectively.
Ravi Bopara, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Rubel Hossain took one wicket each for 21, 25 and 28 runs respectively.
