Bashundhara Kings new BPL champions

Star-studded Bashundhara Kings has emerged new champions in their first appearance in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football with two matches to spare after playing a 1-1 draw with traditional Dhaka Mohammedan SC at their home venue -- Sheikh Kamal Stadium -- in Nilphamari on Thursday.

This is the 2nd major trophy for big-budgeted Bashundhara Kings in the season after the Independence Cup Football after finishing runners-up in the season’s curtain raiser meet -- Federation Cup Football.

On July 20, Bashundhara Kings were poised for the country’s most prestigious league crown with three matches to spare, but Sheikh Russel KC destroyed their party beating them by 1-0 goal at Sylhet District Stadium.

The league title celebration of the Kings was further delayed as their encounter with Dhaka Mohammedan SC was washed out just after three minutes of the play due to heavy rain at the Sheikh Kamal Stadium in Nilphamari on Wednesday.

They celebrated their maiden league crown with two matches to spare against Saif Sporting Club on July 28 in Mymensingh and Chattogram Abahani on July 31 at Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, securing highest 59 points from 22 matches with 19 wins, two draws and one defeat, four ahead of their nearest rivals Dhaka Abahani, which bagged 55 points from 23 ties.

Dhaka Mohammedan DC remained at the 8th slot collecting 24 points from 22 matches.

In the remaining 87-minute of the vital match on Thursday, Souleymani Diabate of Mali put traditional black and white team Mohammedan ahead in the 16th minute (1-0) while Brazilian footballer Marcos Vinicius restored the parity for the Kings in the 37th minute (1-1)