BPL 2023: Fortune Barishal smash third most runs in last five overs in T20 cricket history courtesy Shakib Al Hasan and Iftikhar Ahmed

Seasoned all-rounders Shakib Al Hasan and Iftikhar Ahmed have yet again showed that they can be very handy middle-order batters in the shortest format. The duo added a century stand in the death overs during Match 18 of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2023 fixture between Fortune Barishal and Rangpur Riders at Chattogram on Thursday, January 19.

While the Fortune Barishal skipper missed out on a well-deserved century by a whisker, the Pakistan all-rounder Ahmed did succeed in breaching three figures as the duo went on to add an unbeaten 192 runs for the fifth wicket.

Thus, with this century partnership, Shakib and Iftikhar also went on to register the highest-ever partnership for fifth wicket in T20 cricket history. This epic partnership powered Barishal to a mammoth total of 238/4 and the best thing about it is that the middle-order duo had carried out the rescue act for their team from a completely hopeless position after being reduced to 46/4 inside Powerplay.

Records tumble in BPL game

While Shakib Al Hasan remained unbeaten on 89 runs off 43 deliveries at a stupendous strike rate of nearly 207, Iftikhar Ahmed was not out on a 45-ball 100 at an outstanding strike rate of 222.22. The duo’s partnership eventually went on to be a match-winning one as Fortune Barishal convincingly came out on top by 67 runs having restricted the opposition to 171/9.

Notably, this also happens to be the third most runs scored in T20 cricket in the final five overs where the duo added 101 runs. The second position is occupied by the Jamaica Tallawahs who had scored 103 runs in the last five overs in Qualifier 2 of CPL 2022 against the Guyana Amazon Warriors at Guyana’s Providence Stadium. Shamarh Brooks was the wrecker-in-chief scoring 52-ball 109.

The top position is occupied by the Royal Challengers Bangalore who had scored 112 runs in the final five overs against the now-defunct Gujarat Lions during an IPL 2016 fixture at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The Gujarat bowlers suffered the wrath of the destructive batting duo of Virat Kohli who scored a 55-ball 109 and ‘Mr.360’ AB de Villiers who blasted and unbeaten 129 off only 52 balls.

Most runs in last five overs of a T20 innings

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