BPL batting boom too good to be true?

DailyStar || Shining BD

Published: 1/15/2025 8:21:57 AM

The just-concluded Sylhet phase of the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20 has delivered some thrilling cricket, overshadowing the relatively subdued fixtures in Dhaka. Yet, questions linger over whether compromises were made to boost the tournament's appeal.

The tournament's 11th instalment, however, has witnessed high-scoring matches from the outset. During eight games in the Dhaka phase, the average score was 165.5, which rose to 173.09 in Sylhet. The Sylhet matches also offered nail-biting finishes, creating a lively atmosphere for fans who flocked in droves to the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium across six match days.

The tournament's only unbeaten team, Rangpur Riders, who won seven matches on the trot, must be given significant credit for providing some cliffhangers, especially in the Sylhet phase. Whenever they found their backs against the wall, they knew how to get out of those situations and finish on the winning side.

In one of those contests, Rangpur skipper Nurul Hasan Sohan smashed 30 runs in the last two overs when his side required 26 against defending champions Fortune Barishal to clinch a highly unlikely victory. Meanwhile, in the last Sylhet phase game, Rangpur went on to win against Khulna Tigers by eight runs despite the opposition needing only 22 runs in three overs with seven wickets in hand.

Apart from Rangpur, Dhaka Capitals, Chittagong Kings, and Sylhet Strikers also provided some closely fought contests. Meanwhile, compared to the Dhaka phase -- where Chittagong's Usman Khan and Dhaka's Thisara Perera scored hundreds -- the centurion tally increased to three in Sylhet, with Rangpur's Alex Hales and Dhaka's Liton Das and Tanzid Hasan Tamim registering three digits.

Both Liton and Tamim scored tons in the same innings, forming a record-breaking 241-run opening stand, helping Dhaka become the first BPL franchise to post a 250-run total.

However, as the batters made merry on the field, the question automatically arose: should they take all the credit for that, or are there other factors -- apart from good wickets, which also had an outside impact on their sudden rise -- given that they have hardly showcased similar performances in both international and domestic matches?

One such factor is the dimension of the playing field. The boundary lengths in the ongoing BPL have been under scrutiny since the beginning of the tournament. As in Dhaka, Sylhet also featured smaller boundaries, making it easier for batters to clear them, even when some shots were mistimed.

Moreover, the quality of bowlers -- both local and foreign -- in many franchises is so below par that even in the recently concluded National Cricket League T20 or the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League -- a 50-over domestic club-based tournament -- the batters came across superior bowling attacks.

For instance, in a high-scoring game featuring swashbuckling centuries from Liton and Tanzid, Durbar Rajshahi's bowling attack included Shafiul Islam and Sohag Gazi, neither of whom had featured in the BPL since 2021–22. Apart from Taskin Ahmed, there have been few standout bowlers to truly challenge the batters.

With the BPL heading to the Chattogram phase from tomorrow, there is every possibility of a similar trend continuing in the port city. But concerns remain: are batters gaining a misleading sense of confidence that could prove detrimental in the long run?

BPL 2024/25

MOST RUNS

Player Mat Runs HS Avg SR

Zakir Hasan (SYS) 6 251 75* 50.20 149.40

Usman Khan (CK) 4 249 123 62.25 171.72

Tanzid Hasan (DKA) 7 246 108 35.14 138.20

Liton Das (DKA) 6 240 125* 48.00 164.38

Saif Hassan (RAR) 7 228 80 38.00 126.66

MOST WICKETS

Player Mat Wkts BBI ER SR

Taskin Ahmed (RAJ) 6 14 7/19 6.72 10.07

Abu Hider (KT) 5 11 4/44 9.87 10.27