Photo : Collected
The record-holding Comilla Victorians outshone the Rangpur Riders in the first Qualifier of the ongoing season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), securing their path to the final and a chance to claim yet another title. Tawhid Hridoy and Litton Das led a masterful batting symphony, guiding Comilla to the final of March 1.
Despite Rangpur's efforts, their journey now takes them to the second Qualifier on February 28th, where they'll face Fortune Barishal, who eliminated Chattogram Challengers in the Elimantor and kept their title dream alive.
Comilla weathered an early storm, losing their premium all-rounder Sunil Narine on the very first ball to Afghan pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi, who was playing his first match in this BPL. But their batting lineup remained unfazed.
In a dazzling second-wicket partnership, Litton and Tawhid formed an outstanding partnership of 143 runs, effectively snatching the match from Rangpur's grasp.
Tawhid's bat sang a song of dominance, reaching a well-deserved fifty. Litton, too, joined the party with his own half-century. In doing so, Tawhid soared past Tamim Iqbal as this BPL's leading run-scorer, surpassing the 400-run mark. His ended up on 83 off 57 balls, with five fours and four sixes. Comilla ultimately danced to victory, chasing the target of 186 in 18.3 overs with six wickets to spare.
Earlier, Rangpur batted first and set a challenging total of 185 runs for six wickets. James Neesham shone as their main scorer, with a breathtaking 97 off 49 deliveries, with eight fours and seven sixes. He remained unbeaten. Rangpur captain Nurul Hasan offered a supporting melody of 30 runs.
However, despite promising starts, Rangpur's other batters couldn't sustain their rhythm. Comilla's Andre Russell took two wickets for 37 runs.
With this win, Comilla strides confidently towards their fifth BPL final. In their four previous appearances, they've emerged victorious each time – an unmatched record in BPL history.
Messenger/Disha
