Holders Dhaka to face Sylhet in BPL 5 opener Saturday
Published : 03 Nov 2017, 17:25
The 5th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20 will start at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium (SICS) on Saturday.
Defending champions Dhaka Dynamites taking on Surma Sixers Sylhet in the opener to kick off the 39-day long seven-franchise team tournament. The opener will begin at 2pm.
As per rules, maximum five foreign players can be included in a game in the best XI, so any one or more of overseas superstars -- Shahid Afridi, Evin Lewis, Sunil Narine, Kumar Sangakkara and Shane Watson -- will have to sit out on the match day.
Their pace attacks will relay on local players like Mohammad Shahid and Abu Hider along with Mohammad Amir and Ronsford Beaton. All-rounder -- Shakib Al Hasan, Afridi and Kevon Cooper can expect support from Narine to handle the rest.
Evin Lewis, Kumar Sangakkara, Shane Watson and Rovman Powell are enough to build stronghold in the top order. They will be shored up by Mosaddek Hossain, Nadif Chowdhury, Cameron Delport and Joe Denly.
On the other camp, Surma Sixers Sylhet have a relatively young side with their star attraction Babar Azam, Sabbir Rahman and Liam Plunkett and the little-known Ross Whiteley.
Surma Sixers have batting strength with having Andre Fletcher, Upul Tharanga and Danushka Gunathilaka as well as local performers like Imtiaz Hossain and Nasir Hossain.
Plunkett will lead the bowling attack alongside three left-arm pace bowlers -- Krishmar Santokie, Usman Khan and Ghulam Mudassar. Taijul Islam and Chaturanga De Silva will play an important role with their accurate left-arm spin while Wanindu Hasaranga's leg-spin will be an attacking option.
Dhaka Dynamites squad: Shakib Al Hasan, Mosaddek Hossain, Mehedi Maruf, Mohammad Shahid, Abu Hider, Jahurul Islam, Nadif Chowdhury, Saqlain Sajib, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Shadman Islam, Noor Alam Saddam, Kumar Sangakkara, Shane Watson, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Rovman Powell, Ronsford Beaton, Evin Lewis, Sunil Narine, Kevon Cooper, Cameron Delport, Joe Denly and Akeal Hosein.
Surma Sixers Sylhet squad: Sabbir Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Taijul Islam, Nurul Hasan, Abul Hasan, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Mohammad Sharif, Nabil Samad, Imtiaz Hossain, Shuvagata Hom, Mohammad Sharifullah, Liam Plunkett, Ross Whiteley, Andre Fletcher, Andre McCarthy, Krishmar Santokie, Babar Azam, Usman Khan, Ghulam Mudassar, Upul Tharanga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Chaturanga De Silva, Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga.
Source: unb