The playoffs of the Bangladesh Premier League are here. We have the first qualifier to be played between Rangpur Riders and Comilla Victorians at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Monday. Both teams have had excellent runs in the tournament, and one can expect that to continue here.
These teams are at the top two of the league table, and this is what is bound to give them a lot of confidence coming into this match. But, this game is such that the loser will get another chance to redeem themselves against the winner of the Eliminator in Qualifier 2. It is supposed to be played on Wednesday.
Despite the luxury of the situation that they have at the moment, neither of these teams will want to leave it to Qualifier 2 to qualify for the final to be played on March 1. Comilla have a good chance of winning this game given the combinations they have on their side. Plus, their youngsters will want to showcase their wares as well.
Rangpur, on the other hand, have an excellent mixture of both senior and young players, and this will help them build some momentum in this game. With Babar Azam returning to Pakistan for the PSL, Rangpur will stand a good chance of winning this game and qualifying for the tournament’s final match.
Key Players
Litton Das (Comilla): Skipper and opener Litton Das has been phenomenal for Comilla all season. He has got them off to brilliant starts whenever the situation has allowed him to. The right-handed wicket-keeper batter has also helped them chase down runs.
Jimmy Neesham (Rangpur): Kiwi all-rounder Jimmy Neesham has taken up the mantle left behind by star Pakistani batter Babar Azam, who has left these shores to play in the Pakistan Super League. Neesham offers a lot of variety with both bat and ball, making him a key player.
Match Prediction
Rangpur appear to be the favourites to win this game against Comilla, although when these two teams met a few days ago, the latter emerged victorious by a whopping margin of six wickets. However, this time, Rangpur will hope to bowl first and avenge their defeat.
(The prediction for the Eliminator could not be done as there is still no clarity on which teams have qualified for it.)
