Comilla Victorians won their third BPL title after defeating Fortune Barishal by 1 run in the championship match on Friday (February 18) at the SBNCS in Dhaka. Imrul Kayes also won his second BPL title as captain. The final match was full of excitement and twists, giving everyone a real taste of T20 cricket. Because of that, the match was closely contested, with the deserving side emerging victorious. Take a look at the five major moments that contributed to Comilla Victorians' victory in the BPL 2022 final.
Five Major Points of Comilla's Victory in the BPL 2022 Championship Match
Comilla Victorians and Fortune Barishal both were equally favorites to win the BPL season eight. In the end, Imrul Kayes-led Comilla Victorians won a tense match against Shakib Al Hasan-led Fortune Barishal in the BPL 2022 final. Imrul Kayes has now become the second most successful captain in BPL history, with two trophies. Besides, Shakib Al Hasan also lost two BPL finals as captain to Imrul Kayes. Previously in 2019, Imrul Kayes' Comilla defeated Shakib's Dhaka in the sixth season of the BPL championship match. Here are the five key moments from Comilla Victorians' triumph over Fortune Barishal in the championship game.
Read: BPL 2022: Narine, Moeen propel Comilla to 151 in final
Sunil Narine's Blazing Knock in the Powerplay
Batting first, the Comilla Victorians sought a flawless start to defend the final match against Fortune Barishal. Sunil Narine was expected to lead the attack for a quick start, and he did not disappoint in the Comilla campaign. Narine went on the attack and completed his fifty in just 21 balls. He led Comilla Victorians to 73/2 after six overs, partnering with Liton Das and Mahmudul Hasan Joy in the powerplay. Sunil Narine struck 57 off 23 deliveries before being Mehedi Hasan Rana's 50th T20 victim.
Moeen Ali's Crucial Knock in the Death Overs
Comilla Victorians' innings fell apart quickly after a sparkling start, as they were reduced to 95/6 at the end of 11 overs. The Victorians needed a solid partnership to put a competitive total on the board. Comilla Victorians scored 151/9 in their allotted 20 overs thanks to English recruit Moeen Ali's determined 38 off 32 balls knock. Moeen stood at the crease until the 20th over, ensuring Comilla a challenging total against Barishal.
Read: Comilla Victorians lift BPL title in a thrilling final
Tanvir Islam's Dismissal of Shykat Ali in the Tenth Over
Fortune Barishal were in a strong position when Chris Gayle and Shykat Ali batted together at the crease in the second wicket. They took the total to 79 in 10 overs, and Barishal's campaign was in high gear at that point. However, things tend to shift in Comilla's favour as spinner Tanvir Islam broke the stand in the tenth over. He removed Shykat Ali, who was on a rampage in the final match. Shykat scored 58 runs off 34 balls, and his wicket was crucial in the match's outcome.
Mustafizur Rahman's Incredible Catch to Remove Shakib
After a strong start, Fortune Barishal were reduced to 118/4 at the conclusion of 15 overs owing to some tight bowling by the Victorians bowlers. In particular, the departure of inform Captain Shakib Al Hasan was vital. Because Barishal would have easily chased down the target if Shakib had stayed at the crease to the end. However, he was holed out by Mustafizur Rahman in the point region in the 15th over after attempting an across-the-line shot of a Tanvir delivery. Mustafizur pulled off a spectacular catch.
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Sunil Narine's Exceptional 18th Over
Fortune Barishal should have reached the winning target with 18 runs required in 18 deliveries and 5 wickets in hand. West Indian off-spinner Sunil Narine made their pursuit much more difficult. He bowled the critical 18th over for only 2 runs, dismissing DJ Bravo, which was the most important wicket at the stage. After that, Mustafizur and Shohidul bowled the final two overs of the match, ensuring Comilla Victorians' win, with Fortune Barishal's innings ending on 150/8. Sunil Narine's spell ended with a 4-0-15-2, an outstanding bowling effort for the player of the final.
Way Forward
The foreign recruits were expected to be influential factors for Comilla Victorians in the BPL season 8, and that prediction was fulfilled. Overseas players Faf du Plessis, Sunil Narine, and Moeen Ali all made significant contributions to Comilla throughout the campaign. In other words, the Victorians won their third Bangladesh Premier League trophy as a result of their efforts. Sunil Narine's performance in qualifier 2 and the BPL 2022 final was very impressive. He was the deciding factor for Comilla Victorians in both matches. Ace all-rounder, Shakib Al Hasan was named the tournament's best player. Overall, the championship match was contested between the best two teams in the competition, and the deserving team won.