Rangpur became champions of the National Cricket League T20 after defeating Dhaka Metropolitan in the final, chasing a modest target of just 63 runs. There was some tension early on as Rangpur lost 4 wickets for just 18 runs, but they managed to recover and eventually won by 5 wickets, with 52 balls to spare.
Rangpur had a shaky start, scoring only 13 runs without a wicket in the first 3 overs before losing 4 wickets in quick succession. Spinners Alis Al Islam took 2 wickets, while Abu Haider Roni took another, and a run-out brought in the fourth wicket.
After the collapse, Ariful Islam and Tanvir Haider steadied the ship with a 24-run partnership. Ariful was dismissed for 14, but Tanvir and Enamul Haque (Enam) managed to add another 23 runs. With just 63 runs to chase, a couple of small partnerships allowed Rangpur to cross the finish line easily.
Rangpur’s bowlers had a major impact in the final, dismissing Dhaka Metropolitan for just 62 runs, the lowest total in the tournament. This also marked the first time in any recognized T20 tournament in Bangladesh that a team was bowled out for under 100 in a final. Dhaka’s previous low was 103 runs in the 2016 BPL final against Dhaka Dynamites.
The match started with a boundary from Imranuzzaman off Mukidul Islam, but the bowlers took charge after that. Mukidul and Alaudin Babu combined to take 5 wickets for just 16 runs, setting a new record for the lowest score to lose 5 wickets in this tournament. Both pacers took 3 wickets each for 12 runs.
Alaudddin finished as the tournament’s highest wicket-taker with 19 wickets, while Mohammad Naeem, Dhaka’s captain, was the top run-scorer with 316 runs. Mukidul was named the Player of the Final, and Abu Haider was awarded the Player of the Tournament.
Match Summary:
Dhaka Metropolitan: 62/10 (Shamsur 14, Abu Haider 13; Mukidul 3/12, Alaudin 3/12)
Rangpur Division: 65/5 (Ariful 14, Enamul 14; Alis 2/13, Abu Haider 1/8)
Result: Rangpur won by 5 wickets
Player of the Match: Mukidul Islam
Player of the Tournament: Abu Haider
