The wait is over for cricket fans as the Bangladesh Premier League is set to take shape in a few hours' time. The competition, this time around, is expected to be tougher with all teams looking super strong, with their bases covered in all the departments.
If the Dhaka Dynamites are looking to win their third title, Comilla Victorians will hope to defend their title, which they won after playing some superb cricket last season. Two matches are going to be played on the opening day of the Bangladesh Premier League 2016. Here is an overall look at the two matches.
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Comilla Victorians vs Rajshahi Kings
Experienced Bangladesh player Mashrafe Mortaza will hope to see his team get off to a brilliant start against Rajshahi Kings in the first match of the competition, which is expected to get the BPL ball rolling. The Victorians have a good mix of Bangladesh (Imrul Kayes, Liton Das) and foreign imports like Imad Wasim, Sohail Tanvir.
The Victorians will hope for a solid performance from senior players like Tanvir, Thisara Perera and Mortaza. If their all-rounders get their game going, they could start the BPL on a winning note.
The Kings, on the other hand, also look a decent side with some established players Darren Sammy, Upul Tharanga and Mohammad Sami. But the Kings will also hope for a special performance in the opening match from Mehedi Hasan Miraz, who was brilliant in the recently concluded Test series against England. In fact, Mehedi could turn out to be the trump card for the Kings.
Rangpur Riders vs Khulna Titans
The Rangpur Riders were impressive last season, as they finished third, and their team management will hope for a better performance from players to help them to go all the way in the BPL fourth edition. The Riders seem to have a solid team, and their batting order looks incredibly strong with the likes of Mohammad Shahzad, Sharjeel Khan, Soumya Sarkar. With bowlers like Shahid Afridi and Rubel Hossain, they could be one of the teams to watch.
Their clash with Khulna Tians is expected to be entertaining with some explosive bastmen in both the camps. The Titans will rely on the batting exploits of Lendl Simmons, who on his day can tear apart any bowling attack. The West Indian has the experience of playing various leagues like the Pakistan Super league and the Indian Premier League, which will come handy for the Tians.
The Titans will not rely on Simmons alone, as they also have the services of Mahmudullah and Andre Flectcher, who will both be key players for the team. In the bowling department, they will look for Australian Ben Laughlin to deliver the goods.
Where to watch live
Comilla Victorians vs Rajshahi Kings match is scheduled for 2:30 pm local time (2 pm IST) start, and Rangpur Riders vs Khulna Titans clash will take shape from 7:15 pm local time (6:45 pm IST). TV and live streaming options can be found below for the matches.
India: TV: Sony Six and Sony Six HD. Live Streaming: Sonyliv.
Bangladesh: TV: Channel Nine BD
Pakistan: TV: Geo Super
