CONTRARY to all expectations at the beginning of the tournament, the Rangpur Riders lifted the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) title, thanks to a scintillating performance of Chris Gayle. He hit a record number of 18 sixes in his score of 146 not out surpassing his previous best in the BPL. It was a one-man show by the Caribbean firecracker as his explosive hundred led Rangpur Riders to a thumping victory over Dhaka Dynamites. It is a common sight in T20 cricket anywhere in the world that when Gayle is in full flow, opponents are reduced to silent spectators. Gayle and Brendon McCullum were not out on 146 and 51 as the pair added 201 runs for the second-wicket, which was the highest for any partnership in BPL. Shakib Al Hasan had only himself to blame as he dropped a straightforward catch at cover when Gayle was only on 22, a miss that proved fatal for his team. Dhaka, in reply, could only muster 149 runs for the loss of nine wickets. Their star-studded batting line-up of Dhaka Dynamites looked ordinary.
Mohammed Sohel Hara
Bonosree, Dhaka sohelhara@hotmail.com
