|| CF Correspondent ||

Tamim Iqbal lit up Dhaka sky, playing an unarguably a best T20 knock by a Bangladeshi player as Comilla Victorians clinched the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) trophy for the second time on Friday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

The dashing opener struck a herculean century, a 61 ball-141 not out, clobbered with 10 fours and 11 sixes, something is quite rare from a Bangladeshi player to sink Dhaka Dynamites single-handedly by 17 runs.

In doing so Tamim gave Dhaka a bitter taste of defeat in the BPL final for the consecutive second time and simultaneously gave Comilla the trophy after 2015.

His marauding century was key in Comlla ’s massive 199 for three in the final after which their bowlers survived from Dhaka top order’s assault to help the side restrict them to 182 for nine.

Tamim however also contributed with two tough catches during Dhaka’s chase that resulted two key wickets of Shakib Al Hasan and Keiron Pollard, making the final game almost a one-man show.

But hardly anybody expected such a domineering century, a Chris Gayle-like century from Tamim Iqbal. His breathtaking century enthralled the full-house crowd and gave them occasion to witness one of the best T20 innings played by a local batsman.

He seemed to be on a different zone totally, reminiscing the Gayle century, which plundered Dhaka in the final of the last season.

More than anything else it seemed the crowd witnessed Tamim the way they had seen him growing until he made his transformation to serve the purpose of the team by remaining satisfying in the sheet anchor role.

But such a century, full with unorthodox and proper cricketing shots demonstrated the fact that he can now claim to be on the verge of turning him from the shadow of a good batsman into someone with the potential to go the next level.

The magnitude of the century lied in another thing. He remained unbeaten and finished with a daddy hundred, 141 off just 61 balls, at a strike rate of 232 when no other batsmen from his side had strike rate over 86. Much of their batsmen struggled to get going but it made no difference as Tamim, as he hammered 70.8% of his team's total of 199.

In his brutal knock, he hit 10 fours and 11 maximum, which is the record by a Bangladeshi batsman. The next best was Sabbir Rahman nine sixes in his 61 ball-122 in 2016. His strike (231.14) in century is the best, while the next best was 230.61 was Ahmed Shehzad’s 49 ball-113 in 2012 BPL.

However, Shakib Al Hasan’s decision to bowl first seemed to have paid a rich dividend as Comilla Victorians batsmen including Tamim Iqbal was suffocated to make runs in a pitch looked to be slow and low.

Dhaka were pumped up further after Rubel had dangerous Evin Lewis leg-before for 6. Tamim and Anamul Haque Bijoy then slowly but gradually recovered the loss of Lewis while the former grew with the strength to strength.

Anamul struggled to score but Tamim was in the different zone. Such was his imperious touch that he kept striking boundaries even in some unplayable deliveries.

Shakib Al Hasan broke the partnership by trapping Anamul leg-before for 24 off 30 before Shamsur Rahman was run out for naught. If it gave Dhaka some relief, Tamim’s brutal assault after that left them in a speechless state.

Tamim shared a 100 off 46 with Imrul Kayes for the unbroken fourth wicket stand in which he himself made 83 off 25. Kayes was not out on 17 off 21.

Only Sunil Narine from Dhaka was spared to some extent conceding 18 for no  wicket in four overs. Shakib and Rubel took one wickets but conceded 45 and 48 runs respectively.