The Cumilla Warriors kept their hopes alive of qualifying for the playoffs of the Bangabandhu BPL 2019-20. The Dawid Malan-led unit beat the Sylhet Thunder by five wickets at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. With the victory, the Warriors are now level with Khulna Tigers with 10 points. From how the tournament has progressed, Khulna and Warriors seem to fight for the fourth spot.

Mazid shepherds the Thunder

The Warriors, after winning the toss, didn’t allow the Thunder’s batters to get away. Andre Fletcher had a painful vigil, scoring 22 at a strike-rate off 88. Johnson Charles was starting to put his foot down the paddle with a 15-ball 26 before Al-Amin Hossain nipped him out. Mohammad Mithun couldn’t up the ante as well as he scored 18 off 25 after which Mujeeb Ur Rahman nipped him out.

At the other end, Abdul Mazid didn’t give his wicket away, though he wasn’t getting a whole lot of runs. He held his ground until the very last over and scored 45 off 40 with a couple of fours and a six. At a time when things tended to go a tad haywire for the Thunder, Jeevan Mendis came out firing on all cylinders. The left hander churned out 23 off 11 and took his team to a respectable 141 for five.

Malan and Soumya take charge

The Warriors got off to a rather jittery start in their run-chase. They could only muster 16 runs in the powerplay. To their misery, they lost both their openers, Fardeen Hasan Only and Upul Tharanga to off-spinner Nayeem Hasan. The required rate had touched nine by then and pressure was on the Warriors to step on the gas. Thereafter, Dawid Malan (58) and Soumya Sarkar (48*) stepped up.

Malan got to his fifty off 44 balls after a steady start. But Ebadot Hossain removed him to give the Thunders some hope. David Wiese played a cameo of 13 off eight before Charles castled him. Meanwhile, Sarkar didn’t let any sort of panic sneak in. He got to his half-century with a lofted drive over the covers. The southpaw stayed unbeaten on 55 off 30 and saw the Warriors through to a win.

Brief Scores

Sylhet Thunder: 141/5 in 20 overs (Abdul Mazid 45, Johnson Charles 26; Al-Amin Hossain 2/30)

Cumilla Warriors: 142/5 in 19.1 overs (Dawid Malan 58, Soumya Sarkar 55*; Nayeem Hasan 3/21)

Cumilla Warriors win by five wickets.

Match Details:

The 35th game of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2019-20 will be played between Cumilla Warriors and Sylhet Thunder at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Dhaka

The match starts at 01:30 PM local time (07:30 AM GMT) (01:00 PM IST). This game can be viewed on the Fan Code app in India.

Match Preview for Dream11 Fantasy:

After having lost 10 of their 11 fixtures in the 2019-20 Bangabandhu BPL, the Sylhet Thunder have nothing but pride to play for when they take on Cumilla Warriors in their final league stage encounter on Tuesday. The Thunder fought well in the last game but could not convert it into a victory as Rajshahi Royals chased their total of 143 in just 15.1 overs thanks to a whirlwind opening stand between Liton Das [36] and Afif Hossain, who scored a 30-ball 46.

They’ll now face Cumilla Warriors, who come into this game on the back of two-match winning streak. Their latest win came against the same opponents- Sylhet Thunder- in what turned out to be a nerve-jangler of an encounter; one that was eventually decided via a Super Over. This was after Mujeeb Ur-Rahman’s whirlwind spell of 4-12 helped the Warriors holding Sylhet Thunder on the same score that they had posted in their first innings [140].

Weather Condition/Report

It is expected to be a bright and sunny day in Dhaka on Tuesday. According to the weather report, there is no chance of rain on Tuesday. The temperature will fluctuate between 13-23 degrees Celsius while the humidity is set to hover around 64%.

Pitch Condition/Report:

The pitch at Dhaka during the first leg offered a fair balance between the bat and the ball. The dew played a substantial part in the second half of the game and nine out of the 16 games at the venue were won by the chasing teams. Both the captains will be hoping to win the toss and opt to bowl first.

Average first innings score:– 161 [In the last five games at the venue this season]

Record of chasing teams: Won – 3, Lost – 2

Injury and Availability:

Dawid Malan has re-joined the Warriors after attending his ill wife in England and is available for this match.

Probable Playing XIs:

Cumilla Warriors

Upul Tharanga/Stiaan van Zyl, Dawid Malan (C), Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, David Wiese, Mahidul Islam Ankon (wk), Abu Hider Rony, Sunzamul Islam, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Al-Amin Hossain

Bench: Robiul Islam, Fardeen Hasan, Sumon Khan, Irfan Hossain

Sylhet Thunder

Andre Fletcher (C), Abdul Mazid, Johnson Charles, Mohammad Mithun (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Sohag Gazi, Nazmul Hossain Milon, Delwar Hossain, Nazmul Islam, Naveen-ul-Haq, Ebadot Hossain

Bench – Jeevan Mendis, Krishmar Santokie, Mosaddek Hossain, Abdul Mazid, Ruyel Miah, Rubel Mia, Shafiqullah Shafiq

Top Picks:

Cumilla Warriors- Dawid Malan will return to the playing XI after having missed out on the last game. The English International is the leading run-scorer [377 runs at 62.83] for the Warriors, and he along with Upul Tharanga and Soumya Sarkar [246 runs at 30.75] will lead the batting unit.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman claimed 4-12, the last time both of these sides squared off. He, along with Soumya Sarkar [11 wickets at 19.45] and Al-Amin Hossain [10 wickets at 31.20] will lead the bowling unit.

Sylhet Thunder- The likes of Johnson Charles [270 runs at 27], Mohammad Mithun [331 runs at 36.7], Andre Fletcher [233 runs at 29.12] and Sherfane Rutherford [180 runs at 45.0] will have to spearhead the batting unit if they are to ensure Thunder sign off their forgettable campaign on a high.

As far as the bowling is concerned, Ebadot Hossain [13 wickets at 22.15] has been their most successful bowler while Sherfane Rutherford [6 wickets at 22.33] has also impressed with his bowling.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain – Dawid Malan, Soumya Sarkar, Sherfane Rutherford

Vice-Captain – Mohammad Mithun, Andre Fletcher, Mujeeb Ur-Rahman

Suggested Playing XI No.1 for Fantasy Cricket:

Keeper – Mohammad Mithun, Andre Fletcher

Batters – Sherfane Rutherford (VC), Johnson Charles, Dawid Malan (C), Yasir Ali

All-Rounders – Soumya Sarkar, Sunzumal Islam

Bowlers – Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Al-Amin Hossain, Ebadot Hossain

Suggested Playing XI No.2 for Fantasy Cricket:

Keeper – Mahidul Islam 

Batters – Johnson Charles (C), Dawid Malan, Upul Tharanga, Sherfane Rutherford, Sabbir Rahman

All-Rounders – Sohag Gazi, David Wiese

Bowlers – Mujeeb Ur Rahman (VC), Naveen-ul-Haq, Al-Amin Hossain

Expert Advice:

There is a lot of uncertainty around the playing XIs in the BPL. Teams make unexpected changes. It would be better to wait for the playing XIs to be announced before finalizing your Fantasy teams. You can visit CricTracker website after toss for the updated playing XIs.

Probable Winners:

Cumilla Warriors is expected to come out as the winners.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.

Having lost 10 out of their 11 matches, Sylhet Thunder are playing for nothing, but pride in the 2019-20 edition of the BPL. Albeit they have showed fight in the last few games, victory has continued to evade them. Mosaddek Hossain’s injury hasn’t helped their cause either. The Thunder are next scheduled to cross swords with Cumilla Warriors in the first of Tuesday’s doubleheader in Mirpur.

In their previous meeting, the Warriors edged the Thunder out in a Super Over clash in Sylhet. As far as the Warriors are concerned, they are hanging perilously at number five in the points table with eight points from nine encounters. A victory will help them draw level with Khulna Tigers, who have 10 points from nine matches. A loss could make their last two robin matches must win affairs.

Pitch and Condition

Out of the 16 matches played thus far in Dhaka, nine have been won by the chasing teams. The pitches in those games provided a balance between bat and ball. There haven’t been overly high-scoring affairs and bowlers have had their say. There are no forecasts of rain. The conditions will be mostly sunny with the temperature around the 23 degrees Celsius mark. The humidity will be in the 40s.

Team Combination

Cumilla Warriors  

Dawid Malan has re-joined the Warriors after attending his ill wife in England. The southpaw is currently the leading run-scorer of this BPL with 377 runs at an average of 62.83. Upul Tharanga scored 45 runs in his very first match and he along with Malan can form a dangerous opening duo.

Soumya Sarkar has 246 runs and his role in the middle-order will be key. The stand-in skipper also has 11 wickets to his name. Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Al-Amin Hossain, Sunzamul Islam have played key roles as well. David Wiese has gone for a few though. Sabbir Rahman isn’t in the best of form.

Probable XI

Upul Tharanga/Stiaan van Zyl, Dawid Malan (C), Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, David Wiese, Mahidul Islam Ankon (wk), Abu Hider Rony, Sunzamul Islam, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Al-Amin Hossain

Sylhet Thunder

The Thunder’s batting is yet to put up a collective effort. Andre Fletcher has lost momentum in his batting. Johnson Charles has 270 runs, striking in excess of 160, but even he has floundered big time of late. Sherfane Rutherford hasn’t converted his starts after threatening to play the long inning.

Rutherford has impressed with the ball, having picked six wickets at an economy of 7.88. Mohammad Mithun has been their standout batter with 331 runs with a couple of fifties. In the bowling department, Ebadot Hossain has shouldered chunk of the responsibility with 13 wickets.

Probable XI

Andre Fletcher (C), Abdul Mazid, Johnson Charles, Mohammad Mithun (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Sohag Gazi, Nazmul Hossain Milon, Delwar Hossain, Nazmul Islam Apu, Naveen-ul-Haq, Ebadot Hossain

Probable Top Performers

Soumya Sarkar – Cumilla Warriors |Ebadot Hossain– Sylhet Thunder

Broadcast Details

Online– YouTube

Match Timings – 01:00 PM IST, and 01:30 PM local time

The prediction is for Cumilla Warriors to win the match.

The Rajshahi Royals went into a bit of a slump after losing to Dhaka Platoon and Rangpur Rangers by pretty handsome margins. But they came back strongly, defeat the Rangers by 30 runs. The victory also helped them take the top spot in the points table. Their upcoming encounter is against the Sylhet Thunder in the second of Saturday’s doubleheader at the Sylhet International Stadium.

The Thunder are the cellar dwellers and bearing in mind their form, the Royals will be going into the game as the favourites. As far as the Thunder are concerned, they are now assured as the lowest-ranked team in the T20 tournament. In their previous game, the Rangpur Rangers beat them by 38 runs. They will now be looking to salvage some pride, performing well in their last two league games.

Pitch and Condition

The pitch in Sylhet has gradually gotten better for batting. Bowlers have found it a little tough, especially in the last couple of matches. Dew also plays a significant part, especially in the second half of the night game. Hence chasing should be a wise option. There are chances of rain throughout the day with overcast conditions. The temperature will mostly be around 18 degrees Celsius.

Team Combination

Sylhet Thunder

The Thunder’s batting hasn’t clicked to the extent they would have liked. Barring his century, Andre Fletcher hasn’t been at his best. Johnson Charles didn’t play the last match and it weakened the batting to a great extent. Mohammad Mithun has scored runs, but hasn’t quite delivered in need.

Sherfane Rutherford looked good last time with his maiden T20 fifty. To his dismay, he didn’t get much support from the others. Krishmar Santokie flattered to deceive as well. In the bowling department, Ebadot Hossain has been their standout performer, picking 13 wickets at 7.11.

Probable XI

Johnson Charles, Rony Talukdar, Mohammad Mithun (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Andre Fletcher (C), Nazmul Hossain Milon, Sohag Gazi, Nayeem Hasan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Monir Hossain, Ebadot Hossain

Rajshahi Royals

Andre Russell didn’t play the last game due to an injury. But Ravi Bopara updated that the Jamaican has made good recovery. If Dre-Russ plays then Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz may have to sit out. Liton Das and Afif Hossain Dhrubo have been prolific run-scorers with 255 and 260 runs respectively.

Bopara has the highest batting average of 64 in the Royals’ lineup and that shows how fluent he has been. He has also delivered with the ball, picking up eight wickets. Malik has floundered a little of late, but is expected to get his rhythm back. The bowlers have mostly chipped in with useful spells.

Probable XI

Liton Das, Afif Hossain Dhrubo, Shoaib Malik (C), Irfan Sukkur (wk), Ravi Bopara, Mohammad Nawaz, Alok Kapali, Mohammad Irfan, Abu Jayed Rahi, Kamrul Islam, Farhad Reza

Probable Top Performers

Ebadot Hossain – Sylhet Thunder |Shoaib Malik– Rajshahi Royals

Broadcast Details

Online– YouTube

Match Timings – 06:00 PM IST, and 06:30 PM local time

The prediction is for Rajshahi Royals to win the match.

Rangpur Rangers are well and truly in contention for a berth in the playoffs of the 2019-20 BPL. The Rangers rolled over a hapless looking Sylhet Thunder by 38 runs at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium Shane Watson and Co no have four victories and are level with the Cumilla Warriors. For the Thunder, it’s now confirmed that they will end the T20 tournament as the cellar dwellers.

Shane Watson finally shows his class

Shane Watson was having a horror run with the bat, having scored 15 runs in the first four matches. But he made amends, scoring 68 off 36 and helping the Rangers post a daunting target of 200 for the Thunder to chase down. To start with, he put on 77 for the opening wicket along with Mohammad Naim, who got a 33-ball 42. Watson notched his fifty off 31 balls and was looking pretty ominous.

Ebadot Hossain gave the Thunder a breather, cleaning up Watson. Cameron Delport (25) cleared the ropes a couple of times before falling prey to Ebadot. Mohammad Nabi also struck form with a timely 17-ball 23. For the Thunder, Krishmar Santokie bowled the last over and gave away as many as 26 runs. Fazle Mahmud’s quickfire 8-ball 16 helped the Rangers nearly touch the 200-run barrier.

Thunder slump to another defeat

The Thunder scored 27 runs in their first three overs to start their chase. Andre Fletcher (19) threw the kitchen sink at everything, but Taskin Ahmed got rid of him. Lewis Gregory castled Abdul Mazid to pick up Thunder’s next wicket. Mohammad Mithun (30) tried to up the ante and he became Nabi’s first victim. Sherfane Rutherford kept the momentum going, keeping his team in the hunt.

The southpaw got his maiden T20 fifty off 31 balls. But he was in with a challenging road ahead with the Rangers, needing 59 off the last five overs. At the other end, Shafiqullah, Sohag Gazi and Rony Talukdar perished in quick succession. Rutherford got himself run-out in the weirdest of manners after not landing his foot even after crossing the batting crease. It also ended the Thunder’s hopes.

Brief Scores

Rangpur Rangers: 199/5 in 20 overs (Shane Watson 68, Mohammad Naim 42; Ebadot Hossain 2/30)

Sylhet Thunder: 161/9 in 19.1 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 60, Mohammad Mithun 30; Mustafizur Rahman 2/18)

Rangpur Rangers win by 38 runs.

Match Details:

The 34th game of the 2019-20 Bangladesh Premier League will be played between Sylhet Thunder and Rajshahi Royals at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet.

The match starts at 06:30 PM local time (12:30 PM GMT) (06:00 PM IST). This game can be viewed on the Fan Code app in India.

Match Preview for Dream11 Fantasy:

As we gradually move towards the business end of the Bangabandhu BPL, the 34th game will see Sylhet Thunder lock horns with Rajshahi Royals. Sylhet Thunder’s abysmal campaign reached its nadir in the last game when they failed to chase down a paltry total of 141, set by Cumilla Warriors. The game was tied and if that was not enough, they proceeded to lose the Super Over when they failed to defend the target of eight runs.

They’ll now face table-toppers Rajshahi Royals, who come into this game on the back of a 30-run-win over Rangpur Rangers after they successfully defended 180 thanks to an all-round bowling effort led by Mohammad Nawaz [2-21], Shoaib Malik [2-27] and Kamrul Islam [2-32].

Weather Condition/Report

As dark clouds continue to hover over Sylhet, Saturday is expected to be another rain-marred day in the BPL. According to the weather report, regular showers are bracing themselves to disrupt the game. While the temperature is expected to fluctuate between 17 and 22 degrees Celsius while the humidity is expected to be around 85%. Chances of rain- 40%.

Pitch Condition/Report:

This will be the second game at the venue on Saturday and with so much rain around, the pitch could get sluggish in the second half and chasing could turn out to be a difficult proposition. Both sides will look to bat first and defend the target later.

Average first innings score:– 156 [In the two completed games at the venue this season]

Record of chasing teams: Won – 0, Lost – 1, Tied- 1

Injury and Availability:

Andre Russell has made a fast recovery and is likely to play this game.

Monir Hossain and Shafiqullah developed injuries while fielding and are uncertain for the game.

Probable Playing XIs:

Sylhet Thunder:

Andre Fletcher (c), Rony Talukdar, Mohammad Mithun (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Nazmul Hossain Milon, Sohag Gazi, Shafiqullah Shafiq, Nayeem Hasan, Krishmar Santokie, Monir Hossain/Rubel Mia, Ebadot Hossain

Bench – Jeevan Mendis, Mosaddek Hossain, Abdul Mazid, Nazmul Islam, Rubel Mia, Delwar Hossain, Shafiquullah Shafiq

Rajshahi Royals:

Liton Das (wk), Afif Hossain, Alok Kapali, Shoaib Malik (c), Irfan Sukkur (wk), Ravi Bopara, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Irfan, Farhad Reza, Abu Jayed, Kamrul Islam

Bench: Hazratullah Zazai, Andre Russell, Minhajul Abedin Afridi, Nahidul Islam, Taijul Islam

Top Picks:

Sylhet Thunder- The likes of Johnson Charles, Mohammad Mithun, and Sherfane Rutherford faltered in the last game against Cumilla Warriors, and the onus will be on them to lead the batting unit. As far as the bowling is concerned, Naveen Ul-Haq, Sohag Gazi [2-23] and Ebadot Hossain [3-33] will be the ones to watch out for.

Rajshahi Royals- The cornerstone of Rajshahi Royals’ success in the tournament thus far has been their all-rounders like Shoaib Malik, Ravi Bopara, and Afif Hossain. They will once again be the ones’ to watch out for.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain – Ravi Bopara, Shoaib Malik, Sherfane Rutherford

Vice-Captain – Liton Das, Afif Hossain, Liton Das

Suggested Playing XI No.1 for Fantasy Cricket:

Keeper – Liton Das, Mohammad Mithun, Andre Fletcher (C)

Batters – Afif Hossain, Shoaib Malik (VC), Sherfane Rutherford

All-Rounders – Andre Russell, Mohammad Nawaz

Bowlers – Farhad Reza, Krishmar Santokie, Kamrul Islam

Suggested Playing XI No.2 for Fantasy Cricket:

Keeper – Liton Das, Andre Fletcher

Batters – Afif Hossain (C), Shoaib Malik, Rony Talukdar

All-Rounders – Ravi Bopara (VC), Andre Russell, Sohag Gazi

Bowlers – Farhad Reza, Kamrul Islam, Ebadot Hossain

Expert Advice:

There is a lot of uncertainty around the playing XIs in the BPL. Teams make unexpected changes. It would be better to wait for the playing XIs to be announced before finalizing your Fantasy teams. You can visit CricTracker website after toss for the updated playing XIs.

If Andre Russell plays this game, pick him and can make him C or VC.

Probable Winners:

Rajshahi Royals is expected to come out as the winners.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.

The Rangpur Rangers have found themselves on the verge of getting knocked out of the BPL 2019-20. Having won only three out of their nine matches, Shane Watson and Co are placed sixth in the points table. The Rangers was starting to find a bit of momentum, beating Sylhet Thunder and Rajshahi Royals. But their joy was momentary as Rajshahi Royals beat them by 30 runs in Sylhet.

Their next match is against the Sylhet Thunder in the second of Friday’s doubleheader. Going into the contest, the Rangers can take heart from the fact that they defeated the Thunder by seven wickets in their previous meeting. For the Thunder, they will be playing for pride in their last three round-robin games after their Super Over defeat at the hands of the Cumilla Warriors in Sylhet.

Pitch and Conditions

The pitch in Sylhet has been a decent one for batting thus far. But amidst some heavy run-scoring, the spinners have also gotten a fair bit of assistance. In the night-match, dew is likely to play a part. Hitting the right channels may still pay dividends. The clouds will be there during, but with no chances of rain. The temperature will be around 17 degrees Celsius with the humidity in the 90s.

Team Combination

Sylhet Thunder

Mosaddek Hossain missed the last match due to an injury. The Thunder has depended heavily on him in the middle order as he has 190 runs. Johnson Charles and Andre Fletcher are in red-hot form, scoring in excess of 200 runs. Fletcher will also don the captain’s hat if Saikat misses out next time.

Mohammad Mithun has contributed as well, having scored 241 runs. The onus will also be on Sherfane Rutherford to make some breakthroughs Ebadot and Naveen-ul-Haq have shouldered a chunk of the responsibility in the bowling department. The rest of the bowling has looked rusty.

Probable XI

Andre Fletcher (C), Johnson Charles, Mohammad Mithun (wk), Rony Talukdar, Sherfane Rutherford, Nazmul Hossain Milon, Sohag Gazi, Nayeem Hasan, Monir Hossain, Naveen-ul-Haq, Ebadot Hossain

Rangpur Rangers

Lewis Gregory didn’t play the last encounter due to some reason. If he gets back then the axe may come down on Tom Abell. Gregory has been a fulcrum for the Rangers, having scored 196 runs and picking up 11 wickets. The England all-rounder’s absence was well and truly felt in the last match.

Mustafizur Rahman had an off-day and he will be keen to make amends. Watson needs to find his mojo as he is terribly out of form. Mohammad Naim and Cameron Delport’s role at the top will be of prime importance. Mohammad Nabi has done well with the ball, but has failed with the bat in hand.

Probable XI

Mohammad Naim, Shane Watson (C), Cameron Delport, Tom Abell, Fazle Mahmud, Mohammad Nabi, Al-Amin, Jahurul Islam, Arafat Sunny, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed

Probable Top Performers

Johnson Charles– Sylhet Thunder |Cameron Delport– Rangpur Rangers

Broadcast Details

Online– YouTube

Match Timings – 06:30 PM IST, and 07:00 PM local time

The prediction is for Rangpur Rangers to win the match.

The BPL 2019-20 match between Sylhet Thunder and Cumilla Warriors had everything one could expect for. The game was a witness to a number of twists and turns following which it needed a one-over eliminator to decide the winner. In the end, the Warriors got home with a ball to spare. Most importantly, Cumilla, led by Soumya Sarkar, kept their hopes of qualifying for the playoffs alive.

Tharanga stands tall for Warriors

After losing the toss and being out in to bat, the Warriors got off to a flying start. Upul Tharanga bossed the Thunder bowlers, scoring 45 off 31 with nine fours. The southpaw was exquisite in his shot-making, especially through the covers. Apart from him, none of the Warriors’ batter could show resistance. Sohag Gazi nipped out Tharanga in the 10th over after which the momentum shifted.

The Warriors could only manage 63 runs off the last 63 balls. Sherfane Rutherford picked up three wickets, giving away 19 runs. Ebadot Hossain was a tad expensive, but picked up three wickets. Cumilla felt the absence of Dawid Malan, their leading run-scorer this season. Mahidul Islam Ankon added 19 priceless runs in the end and took the Warriors to a respectable score of 140 in 20 overs.

Gazi’s brilliance bails Thunder out

Johnson Charles perished to Sunzamul Islam for a duck. In the second over, Mujeeb Ur Rahman trapped Rony Talukdar in front to put the skids under the Warriors. Mohamamd Mithun (15) and Sherfane Rutherford (15) tried to inject some momentum into the innings with a 27-run stand. The latter got a lifeline when an LBW call was reversed, but he edged one down the leg side to succumb.

Al Amin Hossain got rid of both Rutherford and Mithun in the seventh over. Dawid Wiese added to the wickets-column, getting rid of Andre Fletcher. Sohag Gazi went berserk to score his maiden T20 fifty off a mere 29 balls. Mujeeb removed Nazmul Hossain Milon, Nayeem Hasan and Gazi to further jolt the Warriors. With 15 runs needed off the last over, the match went down to the Super Over.

Mujeeb and Wiese star in Super Over

Andre Fletcher and Sherfane Rutherford came out to bat with Mujeeb picked as the bowler. Fletcher started with a four, but Mujeeb came back and conceded only three runs off the last four overs. Both batters swung hard with all their might and the tweaker showed immense accuracy in pressure.

The Warriors were set with a target of eight runs and the onus was on Dawid Wiese and Soumya Sarkar to get their team home. Sarkar got out to a short ball from Naveen-ul-Haq, but Wiese hit a four off the very next ball. Wiese picked up a single to see the Warriors through to a triumph.

Brief Scores

Cumilla Warriors: 140/9 in 20 overs (Upul Tharanga 45, Sabbir Rahman 17; Sherfane Rutherford 3/19)

Sylhet Thunder: (Sohag Gazi 52, Monir Hossain 16; Mujeeb Ur Rahman 4/12)

Cumilla Warriors win via Super Over.

Match Details:

The 32nd match of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2019-20 will be played between Sylhet Thunder and Rangpur Rangers at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet.

The match starts at 7:00 PM local time (1:00 PM GMT) (6:30 PM IST).  This game can be viewed on FanCode app in India.

Preview for Dream11 Fantasy

Sylhet Thunder is almost out of the playoffs race as they lost seven out of the eight games played so far. They need to win all four upcoming matches and let the luck favour them to reach the playoffs. Rangpur Rangers have also struggled a lot in the BPL 19-20 and won just three out of the eight matches they played. Winning all their remaining games is the only way to stay alive on the playoffs race for the Rangers.

Both the sides boast of some fierce T20 players and it is baffling to see them struggling this season. Having said that, the possible must-win situation might bring the best out of them and we might get to witness a cracker of a contest on Friday.

Weather Condition/Report:

It is expected to be a cloudy day on Friday in Sylhet. Rain is likely to play spoilsport in the first game of the day. Though the chances of showers reduce to 10-15% for this game a delayed start can’t be ruled out. However, the temperature is expected to hover around 16-17 Degree Celsius during the match time according to AccuWeather.

Pitch Condition/Report:

The Pitch is expected to help batsmen more as it is considered as a batting paradise. So many big totals were recorded in the last two years on the matches which began after 5 pm.

Average first innings score: 159 (6 Night T20 matches since 2019) (Cumilla’s first innings score considered)

Record of chasing teams: Won – 3, Lost – 2 (Sylhet vs Cummila match result not considered)

Injury and Availability:

Mosaddek Hossain didn’t play the previous game. There is no update on his fitness.

Andre Fletcher got hit on the head on Thursday. He might not play this game. 

Probable Playing XIs:

Sylhet Thunder:

Andre Fletcher (C)/Shafiquullah Shafiq, Johnson Charles, Rony Talukdar, Mohammad Mithun (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Nazmul Hossain Milon, Sohag Gazi, Nayeem Hasan, Monir Hossain, Naveen-ul-Haq, Ebadot Hossain.

Bench – Jeevan Mendis, Krishmar Santokie, Mosaddek Hossain, Abdul Mazid, Ruyel Miah, Nazmul Islam, Rubel Mia, Delwar Hossain, Andre Fletcher/Shafiqullah Shafiq

Rangpur Rangers:

Shane Watson, Mohammad Naim, Cameron Delport, Mohammad Nabi (C), Tom Abell/Lewis Gregory, Fazle Mahmud, Jahurul Islam (WK), Mustafizur Rahman, Arafat Sunny, Al-Amin Hossain, Taskin Ahmed.

Bench- Sanjit Saha, Shadman Islam, Lewis Gregory/Tom Abell, Zakir Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nadif Choudhary, Mukidul Islam.

Top Picks:

Mohammad Naim contributed well with the bat for Rangpur Rangers and will be an essential pick for any Fantasy side. Mohammed Mithun played a good knock of 62 of 47 deliveries against Rangers on Monday. He has the capability to repeat one such inning again.

Mohammed Nabi has proved his all-round abilities time and again. He can fetch some good points to your Fantasy side. Mustafizur Rahman picked 12 wickets on eight games for the Rangers. He will a bowler to watch out for in this game again.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain – Mohammad Naim, Johnson Charles, Cameron Delport

Vice-Captain – Mohammad Nabi, Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad Mithun

Suggested Playing XI for Head to Head/Small Leagues:

Keeper – Mohammad Mithun

Batsmen – Mohammad Naim (C), Cameron Delport, Johnson Charles, Nazmul Hossain Milon, Sherfane Rutherford

All-Rounders – Mohammad Nabi (VC)

Bowlers – Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Naveen-ul-Haq, Ebadot Hossain.

Suggested Playing XI for Grand Leagues/Mega Leagues:

Keeper – Mohammad Mithun, Jahurul Islam

Batsmen – Mohammad Naim, Cameron Delport (C), Tom Abell, Rony Talukdar

All-Rounders – Mohammad Nabi

Bowlers – Mustafizur Rahman (VC), Taskin Ahmed, Naveen-ul-Haq, Ebadot Hossain.

Expert Advice

There is a lot of uncertainty around the playing XIs in the BPL. Teams make unexpected changes. It would be better to wait for the playing XIs to be announced before finalising your Fantasy teams. Also, you can visit CricTracker website after toss for the updated team.

If Mosaddek Hossain is playing, then pick him in your team. We haven’t picked now as he didn’t play on Thursday.

Probable Winners:

Rangpur Rangers are expected to win.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.

Herschelle Gibbs isn’t having the greatest of times in the ongoing BPL 2019-20. Gibbs, the head coach of the Sylhet Thunder, has found it tough to communicate with the local Bangladesh players, who don’t understand English. The former South African cricketer reckons that due to the language barrier, he is not being able to deliver his message to the players.

The lack of communication can be comprehended from the fact the Thunder are languishing at the bottom of the points table. After eight matches, the Thunder, led by Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, have won a solitary game against Khulna Tigers. Gibbs also questioned the temperament of the players.

I mean it’s difficult for me to explain to them: Herschelle Gibbs

“About local players, a lot of them don’t understand English. So, it’s difficult for me to make points all the time. It’s a frustrating thing. When I talk with them I can see that they are listening but they are not really syncing in,” Gibbs was quoted as saying in Dhaka Tribune.

“I think the understanding of the game needs to be improved. And another thing is, they are very temperamental. I mean it’s difficult for me to explain to them because they don’t understand it properly,” the veteran added.

Gibbs also highlighted how he was not being able to communicate with Rubel Mia, who made his BPL debut in the game against the Tigers in Mirpur. Rubel scored 39 off 44 in a 62-run opening stand with Andre Fletcher. But at one point in time, he was playing at a strike-rate of around 50.

“I will give you an example. The other day Rubel Mia was opening the batting and he was on 14 off 28 deliveries. I walked on to the field during time-out and I said to him, ‘What is happening, you got 14 off 28 balls?’ And in reply, he just shook his head! It’s not his fault solely but this is the reality,” he added.

After a poor start to the BPL, the Thunder are set to play their first match of the season at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. Saikat’s men will be locking horns with the Cumilla Warriors and another loss will officially knock them out of the tournament.