Dhaka: Abahani Limited clinched the prestigious Dhaka Premier League (DPL) title for the third consecutive time, decisively defeating their archrivals Mohammedan by six wickets at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. This victory marks Abahani’s record 24th DPL title, and their third hat-trick in the league’s history.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Mohammedan, who last tasted victory in the 2009-2010 season, was chasing their 10th title but fell short against a well-disciplined Abahani team. Mohammedan, after being put into bat first, set a target of 240-7, which Abahani comfortably surpassed by scoring 243-4 in just 40.4 overs.
Abahani’s chase was bolstered by three half-centuries, starting with Jishan Alam’s quickfire 55 off 53 balls, which included six fours and a six. The partnership between skipper Mosaddek Hossain Saikat and Mohammad Mithun proved pivotal as they added an unbeaten 135 runs for the fifth wicket. Saikat, who also contributed with the ball by taking two wickets, remained not out on 78 off 65 balls, featuring six fours and five sixes. Mithun’s steady innings of 66 not out off 79 balls included six fours and two sixes.
Despite losing opener Shahriar Komol early to pacer Ebadot, a steadying partnership between Parvez Hossain Emon and Jishan put Abahani back in the game. However, Saifuddin and Nasum Hossain’s breakthroughs gave Mohammedan a glimmer of hope before Saikat and Mithun’s calculated partnership dashed their chances.
Earlier in the match, Mohammedan’s top-order batters, including Rony Talukdar and Farhad Hossain, showed promise but failed to convert starts into significant scores. Rony’s 45 and Farhad’s 42 were the highlights before Abahani bowlers, led by Mrittunjoy Chowdhury and Mosaddek Hossain Saikat with two wickets each, kept the opposition’s scoring in check.
Veterans Mahmudullah Riyad and Arifu Islam scored identical half-centuries, helping Mohammedan cross the 200-run mark. However, their inability to accelerate in the latter stages left them short of a challenging total.