Three pillars standing, two crumbling

Tamim Iqbal's gentlemanly gesture hogged the spotlight at the end of the Chittagong leg of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The Comilla Victorians skipper was applauded all over social media for his comments after the match against Dhaka Dynamites.

"We call cricket a gentleman's game, so I have to be honest and I just did it. Even if my team was in a position to lose the match, there would have been no difference," said Tamim when asked about recalling Kevon Cooper after the batsman had bumped into a player and fallen victim to a run out.

However there were many more reasons for the left-hander to start the second phase of the Dhaka leg -- which will kick off tomorrow at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur -- in good spirits as his side won two of three matches in Chittagong to finish on top and he led his side from the front with scores of 63, 64 and 37.

Another national hero Mashrafe Bin Mortaza also had good outings in the port city, where he emerged with his big-hitting ability during two match-winning knocks of 42 and 17, helping his side Rangpur Riders brighten their chance of reaching the last four. Mashrafe also contributed with the ball and took three wickets in as many matches in Chittagong.

Mahmudullah Riyad will also make a happy return to Dhaka; not only because of his 59-run knock and two wickets but also because his side Khulna Titans notched two wins from three matches to secure second place in the table as well as confirm their place in the final four.

Among the five pillars of the current Bangladesh cricket team, Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim will not share that spirit. Shakib's Dhaka Dynamites, who dominated the first phase of the Dhaka leg, slipped to third position after winning one of two matches.

On the other hand, Rajshahi Kings kept their hopes alive by winning two matches out of three in Chittagong, but Bangladesh Test captain Mushfiqur Rahim failed to make any notable contributions to his side and the injury to his left index finger in the last game against Chittagong Vikings compounded his worries.

"The pain is bit less. I will go to practice tomorrow and after practice our physio will assess my condition and whether I can play the next match [against Dhaka Dynamites]," informed the wicketkeeper-batsman.