Ninth time’s the charm

Ever since its inception, the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) has had to live with the blame of failing to match its hype, mostly due to yielding fewer boundaries and high-scoring contests -- the two T20 elements that are found in abundance in the most popular franchise-based competition, the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

Much of the blame was placed on the extensive use of the pitches at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium (SBNS) in Mirpur. Given how worn out the surfaces become at the home of cricket due to year-round action, it is no surprise that the Chattogram and Sylhet legs have witnessed comparatively more high-scoring BPL contests over the years.

However, this year, in the ninth edition of the franchise-based tournament, Mirpur witnessed more high scores than before, especially in the early stages of the tournament. In the first phase, 152.06 runs per innings on average were registered in eight matches at the SBNS. The Chattogram phase that followed had yielded 156.29 runs per innings on average across 12 games, while Sylhet remained the venue to witness the highest number, at 161.25 runs per innings on average in eight matches. 

Even though the average run-scored in Mirpur gradually dipped as the tournament progressed, with the venue averaging 142.80 runs per innings in 10 matches before the play-off stages, the surfaces garnered high praise from both players and coaches.

After securing a place in the final with a win against Rangpur Riders on Tuesday, Sylhet Strikers captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza had praised the pitch curator for his efforts.

"In matches where teams failed to score big, I think the pitches were a bit tricky. The batters will not always get a flat pitch. However, the curator, Gamini de Silva, and the Bangladesh Cricket Board [BCB] should be praised for the pitches used in this edition," Mashrafe said.

Another unusual yet satisfying moment for this BPL was when thousands of fervent supporters flocked to the Sylhet International Stadium to support their local team, something that the tournament has not witnessed in other venues. The deafening roar that engulfed the Sylhet stadium was unlike anything witnessed in Dhaka or Chattogram.

As home and away matches have yet to be introduced in the BPL, it becomes difficult to develop a dedicated fan base for any team. Sylhet fans, however, fuelled by their team's dominant performance, created a buzz and brought a much-needed breath of fresh air. The BCB might now be compelled to look beyond Dhaka and Chattogram to increase the tournament's popularity.