Theoretically and practically, the two best teams of this season—Fortune Barishal and Chittagong Kings—will face each other in the final of the 11th edition of the BPL at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Friday.
The match will start at 6:00pm and T Sports and Nagorik TV will televise the game live from Mirpur.
Barishal finished the group stage as the table toppers while Chittagong second. The defending champions reached the final directly, beating Chittagong in the first qualifier; whereas, the latter reached there via the second qualifier, where they snatched an unlikely win from Khulna Tigers’ grasp in the last ball of the match.
Yet, the final can be dubbed as a ‘mismatch.’ Barishal, comprised of three former national captains, were favourites from the beginning, and they played like one. Probably the most balanced team of the season had few difficulties on their path to the final.
Tamim Iqbal, the captain of Barishal, also admitted the fact.
‘We didn’t have to face that kind of challenge [in the group stage],’ Tamim told reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Thursday.
‘But in the playoffs, many things depend on one match. But our team is relaxed now. If we can work out our plans, then everything will come into our way.’
Chittagong, on the other hand, have been a surprise package so far in the tournament. They have had a clear flaw in their combination, as they have been playing with only six batters in the eleven. Even the team management admitted that.
But they’ve been able to work that out as their strong bowling lineup comprising Khaled Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Binura Fernando, Arafat Sunny, and Aliss Al Islam also delivered consistently.
Though they will miss the service of Haider Ali in the final due to an injury, the likes of Khawaja Nafay and Graham Clark— their foreign recruits—also have been effective for Chittagong.
Shaun Tait, the head coach of the franchise, said that they’d have to take that risk.
Tait was part of the 2013 Chittagong squad when the port-city outfit reached the final of the tournament for the last time.
‘People would say, we don’t bat very deep,’ the former Australian pacer told the reporters in their team hotel in Banani on Thursday.
‘But we’re in the final. Sometimes you make some risky decisions as a team. You have to back your players. For the majority of the tournament, our batters have done their job.
‘Someone like Shamim Hossain, around that number six position, gives the guys in front of him some confidence. You’ve seen the damage he can do. And I think we’ve got a strong bowling attack,’ added Tait.
Now, ahead of the final, he wants to give them the best chance.
‘[We’ve got] absolute confidence (laughs),’ Tait said. ‘I’m not getting overconfident. But you have to go. It’s 50-50 almost; it’s the final. We had a great match. People would say Barishal are the favourites, but that’s okay. People won’t be shocked if we win.’
However, Tamim believed that the team that can keep their composure in the pressure cooker moments has a better chance to lift the trophy.
‘The team that will be calmer will get more chances of winning. I was nervous in the qualifier. I’ve played two previous finals; generally, I don’t have that much of a tension around it. I hope tomorrow will be the same. The final is the most important. If you can’t stay calm, if you are under pressure, you will be bound to make mistakes,’ said Tamim.
The nature of the wickets in the playoffs have indicated that the toss will be vital. The batters have been finding it hard at the beginning, and in the playoffs, all matches were won by the teams chasing.
Barishal have batted second in nine out of their 10 matches where they won. However, Chittagong have won six times while batting first out of their nine victories.
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PRIZE MONEY
Prize MoneyÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýAmount in BDT
ChampionsÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Tk2,50,00,000/-
Runners-upÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýTk 1,50,00,000/-
Third Position TeamÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Tk 60,00,000/-
Fourth Position TeamÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýTk 40,00,000/-
Player of the Match (Final)Ìý Tk 5,00,000/-
Player of The TournamentÌý ÌýTk 10,00,000/-
Highest Run GetterÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Tk 5,00,000/-
Highest Wicket TakerÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýTk 5,00,000/-
Emerging Player of the TournamentÌý Ìý Tk 3,00,000/-
Best FielderÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Tk3,00,000/-
