Fortune Barishal stormed into the BPL final with a dominant nine-wicket win over Chittagong Kings in the first qualifier. This marks Barishal’s third final since the pandemic, as they now await the winner of the second qualifier between Khulna Tigers and Chittagong.
Mohammad Ali starred with the ball, taking his maiden T20 five-wicket haul. Playing his first match of the season, the Pakistan seamer picked up 5 for 24, including an incredible four-wicket over, becoming the first bowler to achieve this feat in BPL history. He followed in the footsteps of Taskin Ahmed and Faheem Ashraf, who also bagged five-fors earlier in the tournament.
Kyle Mayers gave Barishal the perfect start, removing Khawaja Nafay in the first over with a sharp inswinger before dismissing Graham Clark in his next over. Chittagong slipped to 14 for 2, and their woes continued as captain Mohammad Mithun and Haider Ali fell while trying to counterattack.
Shamim Hossain (79) and Parvez Hossain (36) staged a fightback with a 77-run stand. Shamim smashed nine fours and four sixes, including a stylish no-look flick off Mahmudullah. However, Ali’s brilliance in the 19th over saw him dismiss four batters, wrapping up the innings at 149 for 9.
Towhid Hridoy then led the chase with an unbeaten 82 off 55 balls. He built a steady 55-run opening stand with Tamim Iqbal (29) before Dawid Malan (34*) provided support. Hridoy reached his first fifty of the season in 45 balls, guiding Barishal to victory in 17.2 overs and sealing their spot in the final.
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