DHAKA: Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2017 Champion Rangpur Riders Captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza revealed how his team has won the 5th BPL title overcoming frustrations in Group phase of the tournament.

No extraordinary trick, but the Riders were given full liberty to follow their own style in the field which brought the victory under their grip, opined Mashrafe.

The Rider helmer disclosed the facts that orchestrated the dream, to confirm maiden trophy for the Riders, while briefed the media after the final match of BPL Season V between Rangpur Riders and Dhaka Dynamites at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium Tuesday (December 12).   

Outplaying Dhaka Dynamites by 57 runs, the captain said, “After crossing the group stage, we reached the final as the fourth team. The message we all had was to best use of the chance. There’s another thing we prefer is playing the ‘all-out (total) cricket’…with freedom. We did the things likely what the heart has to say, in full freedom.”  

Rangpur set the target of 206 runs before the Dynamites squad where Chris Gayle contributed 146 and McCullum 51, both remain not out.

Regarding the rampant show of the two batsmen, he said that Gayle and McCullum were earlier said to follow their own as they prefer to play boundary shots. 

“Go and Play…Play in freedom…No blaming...We didn’t blame anyone. It was very important.” 

“I believe in fate. Nothing is possible if the destiny doesn’t favor. We did it as fate graced us. But determined attempts are obviously the greater fact”, he added.

However, Rangpur Riders snatched the glory after smashing the Dynamites camp while they reached at 149 runs by losing nine wickets.

Chris Gayle scored 146 runs and declared himself ‘the king’ of this short-format cricket.

BDST: 1043 HRS, DEC 13, 2017
SI/SMS