Sunil Narine, who will play for KKR in IPL 2022, cracked a 23-ball 57 and bagged two crucial wickets to help Comilla Victorians win the BPL title.
It was like a mini-IPL match. Friday's Bangladesh Premier League final between Comilla Victorians vs Fortune Barishal featured several IPL stars and some of them dazzled under lights at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka. For the record, Comilla beat Barishal by the barest of margins in a pulsating finish. (IND vs WI 2nd T20)
Sunil Narine warmed up nicely for the Indian Premier League likely to be held in Mumbai and Pune from March 27. The West Indian allrounder, who will turn out for Kolkata Knight Riders, smashed a 23-ball 57 after Comilla Victorians opted to bat first after winning the toss.
Narine hit five fours and as many sixes for a strike rate of 247.82. earlier in the BPL, Sunil Narine had cracked a 13-ball 50. Only Chris Gayle, Yuvraj Singh and Hazratullah Zazai had done that before him.
CV's innings ran hot and cold after Narine was out. There was a mini slump as Comilla collapsed to 83 for four in the ninth over after being 40 for one in the third. Faf du Plessis (4) and Liton Das (4) went cheaply as Barishal rode their spinners Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Shakib Al Hasan to good effect.
Moeen Ali's 38 off 32 deliveries helped Comilla close their innings at 151 for nine in 20 overs. Mujeeb was Barishal's best with 2 for 27 while left-arm medium pacer Shafiqul Islam finished with 2 for 31.
The Fortune Barishal innings got off to a horror start (5 for 1) but Chris Gayle and 28-year-old and former Bangladesh U-19 World Cupper Shykat Ali featured in a 74-run off 51 balls second wicket stand to bring Barishal back in the fight.
Then Narine ruined Gayle's party, trapping the burly Jamaican, who will miss IPL 2022, leg before wicket for 33. The exit of Shykat Ali and Gayle left Barishal in a hole and Shakib Al Hasan's departure for 7 handed Comilla a psychological advantage. With 34 needed from 30 balls, it was anybody's game.
After CV's left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam (2/25) finished his spell, it was up to Moeen Ali, Mustifizur Rahman, Narine and Shohidul Islam to check the runs in the slog overs.
It was going to be Sunil Narine's evening. he got dangerman Dwayne Bravo for just 1 and Barishal's fortunes plummeted. Narine returned figures of 2 of 15 with 16 dot balls, just enough to win the man of the final prize.
Barishal needed 16 off the last 12 balls. It could still have been anybody's and the ending saw a lot of drama. A run-out and a dropped catch saw how nerves got the better of the players. But Mustafizur bowled a tight 19th and got the wicket of Najmul Hossain Shanto to leave Barishal to get 10 off six balls.
Shohidul held his nerves and was fairly tight and with Barishal needing 3 off one ball, Mujeeb was run out!.
Brief scores: Comilla Victorians 151/9 (Sunil Narine 57, Moeen Ali 38, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 2/27 beat Fortune Barishal 150/8 (Chris Gayle 33, Shykat Ali 58, Sunil Narine 2/15 by 1 run.