Royals’ ‘committee team’ defies chaos to reach BPL final

Chattogram Royals captain Mahedi Hasan on Tuesday laughed off his team’s label as a “committee team” after they stormed into the Bashundhara Cement Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) final despite being put together at the last minute by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

The Royals were taken over by the BCB on the eve of the tournament after the franchise’s original owners pulled out citing financial problems, leaving the side hastily assembled, poorly resourced and widely dismissed as an organiser-run outfit.

But after winning the first qualifier to reach the final, Mahedi embraced the nickname.

“It doesn’t bother me at all,” he said with a smile. “Since we have reached the final, we have proved ourselves as a committee team.”

The comment drew laughter in the post-match press conference, where the phrase “committee team” has become a running joke during the BPL — a reference to neighbourhood tournaments where the organisers field their own side.

Chattogram began the tournament with just two overseas players, both relatively unknown, and with little time to prepare after the board stepped in to rescue the franchise. Yet they have become the surprise package of the season, reaching the final ahead of far more star-studded teams.

On the field, their success has been driven by a disciplined bowling attack led by left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam, who has consistently struck in the powerplay and at the death, and by the all-round control of Mahedi himself with left arm spinner Tanvir Islam. Young quick Mukidul Islam and support bowlers have repeatedly defended modest totals, turning low-scoring matches in Chattogram’s favour.

“It doesn’t feel unbelievable,” Mahedi said. “When you go into battle, you give everything you have. This is a team game. We don’t have big names, we don’t have big foreign stars, even our local players aren’t big names. But the way the boys are performing — without playing as a team, you don’t get results like this.”

He said the BCB’s takeover had actually freed the players from financial anxiety.

“There is always some financial pressure,” he said. “But after the BCB took charge, everyone could play freely. Nobody had any tension inside. That’s why, I think, the players are performing even better.”

Royals’ batters, too, have punched above their weight, with several lower-profile players contributing crucial runs under pressure to support Mahedi’s own middle-order efforts.

Mahedi also paid tribute to the backroom staff who stabilised the franchise in a matter of days, thanking team director Habibul Bashar, head coach Mizanur Rahman Babul and manager Nafees Iqbal.

“These coaches were appointed after we all made the decision together,” he said. “When this coaching staff came in, all my players were confident, because it was a collective decision.”

He highlighted Mizanur’s track record, saying: “Babul sir has reached the final in the last three BPLs. That is a big achievement for him. We are fortunate to have a coach like him, and that changed our atmosphere.”

Mahedi added that Nafees and Bashar had worked relentlessly to rebuild the team.

“Nafees bhai worked amazingly — whether it was arranging kits or everything else, he changed it all. Bashar bhai’s decisions were good. It was very difficult to do so much in such a short time. Even bringing in foreign players in that time deserves credit. We are playing as a unit — the coaching staff and players together. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be in the final.”

Mahedi has led the Royals from the front. He was man of the match in the Eliminator with an all-round performance and has been one of the tournament’s standout performers, taking 15 wickets in 11 matches at an economy rate of 6.32 while scoring 173 runs at a strike rate of 144.16.

He is currently among the leading contenders for player of the tournament but downplayed his own impact.

“No, nothing like that,” he said. “I am not some giant who can just make things happen. There have been many times in my life when I have played very badly in similar situations, and sometimes very well. That is part of life. Cricket has good and bad days. Since things are going well now, what matters is holding on to it properly.”