Rangpur Riders were the first team to secure a playoff spot in this year’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Fortune Barishal, led by Tamim Iqbal, followed suit after earning 12 points from their first 8 matches. In their ninth match, powered by Tamim Iqbal’s half-century, Barishal defeated Sylhet Strikers by 8 wickets, becoming the second team to confirm a place in the top four.
On Sunday (January 26), at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Sylhet won the toss and opted to bat. However, under Fahim Ashraf’s fiery bowling, Ariful Haque’s side struggled. Sylhet was bowled out for 116 runs in 18.1 overs due to their batters’ failure.
Ahsan Bhatti was the team’s top scorer with 28 runs off 29 balls, while Zakir Ali Anik contributed 24 runs off 19 balls. For Barishal, Fahim Ashraf was the star, taking 5 wickets for just 7 runs.
In reply, Barishal lost two early wickets as Towhid Hridoy scored 6 runs off 7 balls and Dawid Malan made 9 runs off 8 balls. However, Tamim Iqbal, joined by Mushfiqur Rahim at the crease, took control of the innings with aggressive batting.
Tamim brought up his fifty with ease, while both batters kept the scoreboard ticking without giving Sylhet’s bowlers any further opportunities. Riding on their partnership, Barishal secured a convincing victory with 24 balls to spare and 8 wickets in hand. Tamim remained unbeaten on 52 off 51 balls, while Mushfiq scored an undefeated 42 off 30 balls.
