Top 5 run-scorers in the BPL 2017 group stages
Time flies too quick, doesn’t it? It feels as though the Bangladesh Premier League began only yesterday, but it is now on the verge of ending. With just 4 more matches to go, the conclusion of the biggest domestic tournament in the country has come close.
The group stages provided a lot of fun for the viewers as some of the best batsmen played some of the most exquisite shots to lighten the BPL with their radiating presence. Be it Sikandar Raza’s 95 runs for Chittagong Vikings or Evin Lewis 75 against the Vikings, the BPL hasn’t had a dearth of great batting innings.
Even though the pitch at the Shere Bangla Stadium has come under a lot of scrutiny for its erratic nature, this BPL has been a decent outing for the batsmen – and here are the 5 top run-getters in this year’s group stages…
#5 Mohammed Mithun – Rangpur Riders
Redemption is the word of the hour for Mohammed MIthun. The Bangladeshi batsman was an object of ridicule among the Bangladesh fans for his lack of impactful performances with the Tigers. Not much was expect from him in the BPL, but my word – what a turnaround it has been for the man.
Mithun has been the epitome of the word redemption. The 27-year-old has been in phenomenal form this season and has scored 299 runs from 12 innings at an average of 27.18 and a strike-rate of 122.54.
The fact that most games were played in the erratic surface of the Shere Bangla Stadium in Dhaka makes these numbers particularly impressive.
#4 Andre Fletcher – Sylhet Sixers
West Indians are known for two things: hitting them hard and having as much fun as possible while at it. Andre Fletcher, being a West Indian, isn’t any different from the others of his kin. Fletcher smashed his way through 317 runs from 10 innings at a good average of 35.22 and a healthy strike-rate of 124.8.
Fletcher was a part of the Sylhet Sixers team that couldn’t make it to the play-off. This alone should be enough to show him reverence for his efforts with the willow.
#3 Luke Ronchi – Chittagong Vikings
This BPL, we witnessed the worst performance by the Vikings in their history – this was the time the Chittagong franchise finished at the bottom of the table. Things didn’t go down well for the Vikings – and it was expected.
The team was very weak when compared to others, but even then, out of the bitter darkness, someone rose and showed them light: Luke Ronchi. The former Australia player, who also played for New Zealand, was the best player for the Port city.
His bat helped the Vikings on a major scale, but his team-mates let him down. In 11 innings, he scored 321 runs at an average of 29.18 and a scoring-rate of an astonishing 169.84.
#2 Evin Lewis – Dhaka Dynamites
Another West Indian on the list. I think it would be safe to admit that T20 cricket was made for West Indians. The two-time T20I World Cup winners are specialists when it comes to the shortest format of the game – and they show it in every tournament they take part in.
In a star-studded team, Lewis made a name for himself with his super powerful hitting. He scored 334 runs from 10 innings at an average of 37.11 – which is extraordinary in the 20-over format – and an electrifying strike-rate of 160.57.
#1 Ravi Bopara – Rangpur Riders
Ravi Bopara is a seasoned campaigner. He has played so much T20 cricket all over the world that one could almost say that he was born for this. So when Rangpur Riders signed him, they had a gem in their hands.
With 365 from 14 innings at an average of 45.62 and a strike-rate of 115.87, he is the highest run-scorer in this year’s Bangladesh Premier League’s group stage. With Rangpur eyeing a place in the final, a lot of expectations have been placed on the Englishman’s shoulders.
