BPL round-up: Shanto's form, Ripon's Super Over heroics, and familiar controversies

Najmul Hossain Shanto's third T20 century lit up the BPL on the first day. He struck an unbeaten 101 against Sylhet Titansthat helped Rajshahi Warriors chase down 191 quite convincingly. Shanto's century included 10 fours and five sixes, as he became just the second captain in BPL to score a century in a successful chase in the tournament.

Shanto continued to make good starts in the next three matches, but there were no more fifties or hundreds, though he remains the tournament's highest run-getter at this stage. It is still enough for the left-hander to stake a claim in Bangladesh's T20 World Cup squad, which is yet to be announced. Shanto has been out of the T20I side since May last year.

Sylhet Titans' decision to send Parvez Hossain Emon to bat at No. 4, a new position for the left-hander who usually opens the innings, has so far paid dividends. Parvez is the tournament's second-highest run-getter with two fifties, bolstering the Sylhet middle-order. He also batted at No. 4 for Bangladesh in their last T20I against Ireland in December.

Dawid Malan, a BPL regular for the last six seasons, is in third position on top run-getters after hitting two fifties in his first three innings. His form in the Rangpur Riders' top order will be key to the fortunes of the high-spending franchise.

Ripon Mondol added another death over save to his repertoire. He first helped Rajshahi tie their match against Rangpur, before bowling an excellent Super Over to clinch the win.

Ripon defended seven runs in Rangpur's chase of 160, removing Khushdil Shah and Nurul Hasan in the last over. Mahmudullah couldn't get his yorker away, spluttering it to short midwicket, from where SM Meherob ran out the veteran in the last ball. It was only the third tied game in BPL history. Ripon then conceded just six runs in the Super Over, following which Rajshahi batters sealed the win in three balls. .

There was another close game earlier in the tournament when Sylhet's Salman Irshad scampered through for a leg-bye off the last ball to win by one wicket against Noakhali Express.

Left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam is the only spinner to have taken at least five wickets in the tournament. Tanvir has taken two three-wicket hauls so far, first helping Chattogram Royals to a win against Sylhet on the BPL's opening day. He bagged another three-for to help Chattogram win their second game, against Dhaka Capitals.

The BPL has once again found itself entangled in familiar off-field controversies. It started with the Chattogram ownership pulling out of the tournament a day before the opening day. The BCB took control of the Chattogram franchise.

Noakhali Express coach Khaled Mahmud walked out of a training session on the same day due to lack of practice facilities. He returned to the team hours later, citing miscommunication. The Noakhali franchise has had a hard time in the tournament, losing all three games, currently at the bottom of the points table.

They were also caught up in the BCB's handling of the tournament schedule. The Noakhali franchise had already left Sylhet for Chattogram, only to discover after flight delays that the BPL would not, after all, be shifting venues. They eventually returned to Sylhet, as the tournament paused for two days following the death of former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia.