The Bangladesh Cricket Board was motivated to launch an annual franchise T20 Cricket League after seeing the success of the IPL. The BCB hosted the first edition of the competition in 2012, which included six franchises. The event was an instant success due to the popularity of the format. BPL has been the most-watched domestic tournament since then. Seven BPL tournaments have been held to date. However, BCB was unable to organize some seasons because of covid-19 and other factors. Let’s take a look at the past winners of the Bangladesh Premier League.
BPL: List of Winners
Dhaka’s franchise won the inaugural edition of the Bangladesh Premier League in 2012. Since then, Dhaka have won three BPL championships. Cumilla have won the competition twice, and Rangpur and Rajshahi have each won once.
BPL 1 (Champion: Dhaka Gladiators)
Dhaka Gladiators won the 2012 BPL after defeating Barisal Burners by 8 wickets in the final. Dhaka qualified for the semifinals after finishing third in the group round with ten points. They won five games and lost an equal amount of games in the league stage. Dhaka advanced to the final after defeating Khulna by 9 runs in the semifinals. On the other hand, Barisal Burners defeated Duronto Rajshahi by 8 wickets in the semifinals to advance to the championship match. In the final, Barisal batted first and scored 140/7 in their allocated 20 overs. Dhaka comfortably chased down the target with 4.2 overs to spare, losing only two wickets. Khulna’s Shakib Al Hasan won the player of the tournament.
BPL 2 (Champion: Dhaka Gladiators)
Dhaka Gladiators won the 2013 BPL after beating Chittagong Kings by 43 runs in the final. Dhaka qualified for the playoffs by finishing first in the group stage with 18 points. Dhaka proceeded to the final after beating Sylhet by 4 runs in the first qualifier. They faced Chittagong Kings in the final, who defeated Sylhet Royals by 3 wickets in the second qualifier. Dhaka batted first in the final and scored 172/9 in their allotted 20 overs. In the chase, Chittagong were dismissed for 129 runs in 16.5 overs. Shakib Al Hasan of Dhaka was named player of the tournament.
BPL 3 (Champion: Comilla Victorians)
Comilla Victorians won the 2015 BPL after defeating Barisal Bulls by 3 wickets in the final. Comilla earned a spot in the playoffs by finishing first in the group stage. Comilla advanced to the final after defeating Rangpur by 72 runs in the first qualifier. They met Barisal Bulls In the final, who beat Rangpur Riders by 5 wickets in the second qualifier. In the final, Barisal batted first and scored 156/4 in their allocated 20 overs. Comilla reached the target in exactly 20 overs, losing 7 wickets. Comilla’s Ashar Zaidi was awarded player of the tournament.
BPL 4 (Champion: Dhaka Dynamites)
Dhaka Dynamites won the BPL 2016 after defeating Rajshahi Kings by 56 runs in the final. Dhaka qualified for the final by defeating Khulna by 54 runs in the first qualifier. In the second qualifier, Rajshahi Kings defeated Khulna Titans by 7 wickets to advance to the final. Dhaka batted first in the final and scored 159/9 in their allotted 20 overs. Rajshahi were all-out for 103 in the replay, and Dhaka won the championship match. Mahmudullah Riyad of Khulna was named Player of the Series.
BPL 5 (Champion: Rangpur Riders)
Rangpur Riders won the BPL for the first time in 2017 after defeating Dhaka Dynamites in the final by 57 runs. Rangpur advanced to the final after winning the playoffs against Khulna and Comilla respectively. On the other hand, Dhaka beat Comilla by 95 runs to reach the final. Rangpur batted first in the final and made 206/1 in their allocated 20 overs. In reply, Dhaka scored 149/9 in 20 overs and lost the match. Rangpur Riders’ Chris Gayle was awarded Player of the Series.
BPL 6 (Champion: Comilla Victorians)
Comilla Victorians earned their second BPL title in 2019 after overcoming Dhaka Dynamites by 17 runs in the final. In the first qualifier, Comilla defeated Rangpur by 8 wickets to go to the final. Dhaka advanced to the final by defeating Rangpur by 5 wickets in the second qualifier. In the final, Comilla batted first and scored 199/3 in their allocated 20 overs. Dhaka lost the title match after scoring 182/9 in 20 overs. The Player of the Series was Dhaka’s Shakib Al Hasan.
BPL 7 (Champion: Rajshahi Royals)
The reigning champions Rajshahi won their first-ever BPL title in 2020 by defeating Khulna Tigers by 21 runs in the final. Rajshahi defeated Chattogram in the second qualifier to advance to the final. On the other hand, Khulna progressed to the final after defeating Rajshahi in the first qualifier, although they were defeated by them in the championship match. Rajshahi won their first title after scoring 170/4 and restricting Khulna to 149/8 in the BPL7 final. The Player of the Series award went to Rajshahi Royals’ captain Andre Russell.
Bottom Line
According to statistics, Dhaka’s franchise is the most successful in the Bangladesh Premier League. They are also one of the league’s most consistent teams. However, Dhaka haven’t won the tournament in the past three seasons, therefore they will try to win the competition in the next BPL 2021. Besides, Chattogram, Barisal, Khulna, and Sylhet have yet to win the competition. They will also be hoping to win the competition in the upcoming BPL season.
Source: United News of Bangladesh