Cricket fans in Bangladesh have been treated to a wonderful and entertaining contest in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2016 so far. Rain gods might have played spoilsport and delayed the start of the BPL 2016, but it has been worth the wait, with some quality performances from most of the teams in the competition.
So far, 11 matches have been played, and Bangladesh Premier League 2016 has already thrown some surprises in the standings table. It includes the poor start of defending champions Comilla Victorians, who are yet to earn a point. They will be in action on Monday, November 14, and here is a look at the two matches scheduled for the day.
Chittagong Vikings vs Barisal Bulls
After an impressive start from the Vikings in the BPL 2016, defeating Victorians in the opening match, they have been in a downhill ever since. They have lost to Rangpur Riders and Khulna Titans. They had a day's rest to understand what is wrong with the team, and one can expect a solid performance from them against the Bulls on Monday.
Tamim Iqbal and DR Smith have to take major responsibility in the top of the order for the likes of Shoaib Malik to flourish in the latter part of their innings. The attacking duo can release pressure from the rest of the players with a solid start. In the bowling department, Abdur Razzak, Taskin Ahmed and Malik will have to take wickets at regular intervals.
For the Bulls, things are in contradictory to the Vikings. The Bulls lost their first match, but have comeback with back-to-back victories to help them gain immense confidence. Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim has been the major architect in his team's win with the bat, with solid support from other players like Shahriar Nafees. If they continue their good form, Vikings will have a tough task ahead of them on Monday.
Comilla Victorians vs Dhaka Dynamites
This is one of the big matches of the BPL 2016, but the Victorians would not be pleased to play such a massive match when they are low on confidence. The Dynamites, on the other hand, will hope to put more pressure on their opponents from early on.
If the Victorians are to even come any close to winning, they will require their batsmen to score important runs. Their batting have been dismal, scoring 132, 129 and 131 in their last three matches. Their batsmen are to be blamed for their losses. Agreed, they may not have those major stars like that of other teams, but Liton Das, Imrul Kayes and Marlon Samuels have enough experience to steer their team to bigger totals. If they do so, bowlers like Sohail Tanvir and Mashrafe Mortaza can challenge the Dhaka batsmen.
The Dynamites lie second on the table, and have deserved their position after some brilliant play in the BPL 2016 so far. With quality players like Kumar Sangakkara, Dwayne Bravo, Ravi Bopara and Shakib Al Hasan, they seem to have their solid bases covered to trouble the Victorians. They are huge favourites for Bangladesh Premier League 2016 title, and if they continue their impressive ways in the T20 competition, no team might be able to defeat them this season.
Where to watch live
Chittagong Vikings vs Barisal Bulls match is scheduled for 2 pm local time (1.30 pm IST) start, and Comilla Victorians vs Dhaka Dynamites clash will take shape from 7 pm local time (6.30 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
