BPL’s royal trophy in Mirpur by helicopter

Ending a long wait, the much-anticipated trophy of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) was finally unveiled on Friday afternoon. Arriving by helicopter, the BPL’s royal trophy descended onto the green turf of the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, thrilling spectators about one and a half hours before the final began.

The trophy was carried down from the helicopter by Akbar Ali and Salma Khatun—two captains who have led Bangladesh to historic tournament victories. Under Salma Khatun’s leadership, the Bangladesh women’s team won the Asia Cup in 2018 after defeating India. Meanwhile, Akbar Ali captained the Bangladesh Under-19 team to a historic World Cup triumph in 2020.

Traditionally, the BPL trophy photo session with team captains takes place before the tournament begins. This season, however, broke from tradition. While the previous two editions featured pre-final photo sessions at Ahsan Manzil and on the metro rail, no such event was seen this time. Eventually, just ahead of the final, the curtain was lifted to present the trophy to the fans.

Receiving the trophy from Akbar Ali and Salma Khatun, the captains of the two finalist teams took part in a photo session—Rajshahi Warriors skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and Chattogram Royals captain Sheikh Mehedi Hasan.

Following the trophy unveiling, a brief cultural programme was held on the field, featuring a performance by popular actress Tanjin Tisha. Excitement among spectators surrounding the final was clearly visible. All tickets were sold out nearly 42 hours before the match. The Mirpur galleries are expected to be filled to capacity well before the scheduled 6:00pm start. Attention now turns to the on-field contest to determine who will lift the BPL’s royal trophy.