Defending champions Comilla Victorians will take on first-time finalists Sylhet Strikers in the Bangladesh Premier League 2023 final on Thursday, February 16, at the Sher-e-Bangla national stadium in Dhaka. The match is scheduled to begin at 6:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).

Comilla Victorians and Sylhet Strikers had identical records, barring net run rate during the league stage following a top-two finish in the BPL 2023 points table. Both teams won nine and lost three of their 12 league phase matches, with Strikers taking the top spot owing to their superior Net Run Rate (NRR).

Courtesy of their position in the standings, both sides squared off in Qualifier 1 on Sunday, February 12.

Put in to bat first, Mashrafe Mortaza-led Sylhet Strikers were bowled out for just 125 on the board. A disciplined bowling performance derailed their batting unit as opener Najmul Shanto was the only bright spot among the batters (38 off 29).

In reply, Victorians chased down the target with more than three overs to spare to directly qualify for the final.

Thereafter, Sylhet Strikers faced 2017 champions Rangpur Riders in Qualifier 2 with the hope of making it to the final for the first time in the competition's history. They succeeded in doing so with a fighting 19-run win.

Meanwhile, Comilla Victorians and Sylhet Strikers locked horns on two occasions this season prior to the knockouts. While the Strikers won the first match-up by five wickets, Imrul Kayes-led Comilla Victorians emerged victorious in the other by a similar margin.

Talking about the top performers from both teams, Strikers’ left-handed batter Najmul Shanto has scored the most runs in BPL 2023 (452 in 14 matches) and is likely to finish as the top-scorer in the ongoing campaign. 

On the other hand, Comilla Victorians’ Tanvir Islam is among the leading wicket-takers in BPL 2023, bagging 16 scalps in 11 fixtures so far. The left-arm spinner needs two more wickets to conclude the season as the top wicket-taker.

Where to watch Comilla Victorians vs Sylhet Strikers, Bangladesh Premier League 2023 final live in India?

The Comilla Victorians vs Sylhet Strikers BPL 2023 final will be telecast live on Sony Sports Network and its HD TV channels in India.

Live streaming of the BPL 2023 final will be available on the FanCode app and website.

 

Photo credit: Alamy