A determined effort from Tamim Iqbal and Kyle Mayers, along with some explosive hitting by Rishad Hossain, guided Fortune Barishal to chase down 194 runs against Chittagong in a thrilling last-over finish.
Rishad launched two sixes in the final over to push his team closer to the target, securing a 3-wicket victory with three balls to spare at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Friday.
Chittagong’s strong opening stand of 121 runs between Khawaja Nafay and Parvez Hossain laid a solid foundation for their innings. This marked the first-ever 100-run opening partnership in a BPL final across 11 seasons.
Nafay’s 66 off 44 balls and Parvez’s quick-fire 32 off 15 balls put Barishal under pressure, but Parvez’s dismissal at a crucial stage stunted their momentum.
Barishal’s chase was spearheaded by captain Tamim, who blasted 59 off 29 balls, including 9 boundaries and a six, setting the tone early on. He began the innings with three fours in the opening over off Binura Fernando, helping Barishal match Chittagong’s powerplay score of 57. Tamim’s knock contributed 39 of those runs, laying the foundation for the chase.
Mayers also played his part with a valuable 46 off 28 balls, keeping Barishal in the hunt. However, a few quick wickets, including Tamim and Dawid Malan’s dismissals, slowed their progress.
The equation tightened when Barishal lost Mayers and Mahmudullah in Shoriful Islam’s (4-34) double-wicket 18th over. With 20 runs needed from the last two overs, Rishad’s big six off Binura Fernando in the 19th over brought Barishal closer to victory.
With eight runs required in the final over, Rishad struck another six off Hussain Talat’s first delivery, essentially sealing the match for his side.
Barishal became the third team to win back-to-back BPL titles, following Dhaka Gladiators and Comilla Victorians. Tamim joined Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Imrul Kayes as the third captain to lift the trophy two years in a row.
