The 2015 Bangladesh Premier League Final is here, and cricket fans can watch live online as the Comilla Victorians and Barisal Bulls battle for the championship of the T20 tournament, wrapping up the third season of the league that has featured numerous close games as well as plenty of controversy over a variety of issues from the quality of pitches to the timely payment of players.
All of the bumps in the road will likely be forgotten once the match to decide a new BPL champ — a match that promises to be a closely contested affair dominated by the bowlers, but one that could easily go down to the final over before a winner becomes clear — gets underway on Tuesday evening at Shere-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka.
Comilla is led by 32-year-old Bangladesh ODI Captain Mashrafe Mortaza, who also captained the former Dhaka Gladiators to the BPL title in the league’s first two seasons. This time the pacer is fighting through a hamstring tear, and though he will be in the XI on Tuesday, he may not be able to be able to bowl at all.
Though he has played in all 11 Victorians matches in the 2015 Bangladesh Premier League, Mortaza has managed to complete only 26.2 overs. The veteran says that the T20 format is determined by team play, not by individual performances.
“Twenty20 doesn’t not matter because of the cricketers you have, but matters how you are doing as a team in the field. The approach of the team is vital in this format,” Mashrafe told The Dhaka Tribune on Monday. “I have tried my best but there was pressure on me to be honest with you. But it will be wrong if I say that I have done everything, a team can never work that way. All the members of the team – coach, manager, players, management have done their part sincerely and that is why we have the result.”
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Watch the Comilla Victorians vs. Barisal Bulls Bangladesh Championship Final match live online streaming in the video below. Or, for alternative streaming, see the information at the bottom of this article. First ball is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. local time at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. That’s 7:30 a.m. Eastern Time in the United States, 4:30 a.m. Pacific, on Tuesday, December 13.
The iconic Bangladesh hard rock band Warfaze will perform before the game gets underway, with a fireworks display coming right after the match concludes and a new BPL champion is crowned.
The Barisal Bulls put themselves in the 2015 BPL Final by defeating the Rangpur Riders on Sunday, even though their opening batsman, West Indies legend Chris Gayle was absent from the lineup without explanation. It was later reported that Gayle had incurred a minor injury and left Bangladesh for Australia to join the Melbourne Renegades of the Big Bash League, whose season opens on Thursday, a decision that BPL governing councilchairman Afzalur Rahman Sinha deemed “suspicious.”
On Sunday, 24-year-old Bangladesh international Sabbir Rahman made Bulls fans forget Gayle in a hurry, posting a 49-ball 79, with four sixes and seven boundaries, to lead the Bulls past Rangpur by five wickets with three balls remaining.
One more controversy cast a shadow over the conclusion of the 2015 Bangladesh Premier League season as many of the 17 Pakistan playerswho appeared in the the tournament ended the campaign complaining about a lack of playing time — including the distinguished Pakistan Test captain Misbah-al-Huq, who was left on the bench for the final seven Rangpur Riders matches, including the playoffs.
“I can’t say much on this but I guess the team owners and coaches know what is required,” Misbah said after learining that he had been left out again for Sunday’s elimination game against Barisal. “But it is not easy sitting on the bench for so long.”
To watch the Comilla Victorians vs. Barisal Bulls Bangladesh Premier League 2015 T20 cricket Championship Final live online from Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, go to ESPN3, the online-only channel in the ESPN network, which will carry the game live at this link . The ESPN3 streaming channel is free to subscribers of most major internet service providers and many minor ISPs, as well. For a full list, check this link .
[Featured Photo via Bangladesh Cricket Board]