Rangpur’s crown against all odds

Bangla Press Desk:   Against all odds, Rangpur Division found their way into the National Cricket League (NCL) T20 final and clinched an impeccable victory over a star-studded Khulna Division on Sunday night at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. The triumph marked Rangpur’s second consecutive NCL T20 championship, having also won the inaugural edition last year.

But the championship didn’t come easily.

Rangpur’s star all-rounder Rishad Hossain and pacer Shoriful Islam were both unavailable, as the duo were with the national team for the Asia Cup and Afghanistan series.
 
Yet, captain Akbar Ali — ever the calm and calculating leader — didn’t sweat much. He still had promising quicks like Mukidul Islam Mugdho and Mushfiq Hasan at his disposal, both of whom had already delivered Rangpur the four-day title in the 2022–23 season, while the experienced Robiul Haque was expected to lead the attack.

On paper, Rangpur appeared well-stocked in pace options, with Mehedy Hasan also waiting in the wings. Spin, however, looked thin. Along the way, Akbar discovered a reliable left-arm spinner in Abu Hasim, who took 12 wickets this season and held up Rangpur’s bowling attack.

To ensure balance among teams, selectors later reassigned Robiul and Mehedy to other sides. But trouble struck soon after — Mukidul picked up an injury, followed by Mushfiq.

That’s when Akbar had to get creative. With September rain in Sylhet aiding spin, he brought in Nasum Ahmed — freshly released from national duty — after Sylhet Division, Nasum’s home team, were knocked out of the tournament. Nasum’s inclusion proved pivotal, as he played a key role in both the playoffs and the final.

Akbar also found a dependable ally in Nasir Hossain, who twice rescued Rangpur from tricky chases during the playoffs. Nasir scored 54 against Chattogram in the first qualifier and followed it up with 46 in the final against Khulna. He also contributed with the ball, taking six wickets in eight innings. Rangpur also found useful contributions from Jahid Javed, Anik Sarkar and unearth Iqbal Hossain.
 
The captain himself saved his best for the pressure games. Akbar struck 44 off 27 balls and grabbed two catches behind the stumps in the eliminator against Dhaka Division. He then backed it up with a rapid 40 off 21 balls in the second qualifier against Chattogram, leading Rangpur into yet another final.

By now, social media had crowned him “Akbar the Champion.” And with good reason — in Bangladesh’s domestic circuit, an Akbar Ali-led team almost always carries a championship aura.
Akbar’s rise as a captain began when he led Bangladesh to the 2020 ICC Under-19 World Cup title. He later guided Rangpur to the National Cricket League four-day title in 2022 and captained North Zone to the BCL one-day championship in 2023. Last year, he also led Rangpur to the first-ever NCL T20 crown.

After lifting another domestic trophy on Sunday, Akbar remained composed as ever. “As a professional player, that’s not how it works,” he said. “Yes, feelings of satisfaction or disappointment come from how I’m performing — when I play well, I feel good; when I don’t, I feel bad. But it’s never like, ‘they’re playing and I’m not — why?’ That sort of thing doesn’t bother me.”

BP/TD