Durdanto Dhaka pacer Shoriful Islam put the onus on performances from local players for his side to go further into the upcoming edition of the Bangladesh Premier League starting on January 19.  

"Our main goal will be to be in the top four. If we can do that, then we will think about the final. We have Taskin (Ahmed), Mosaddek Hossain, Irfan Shukkur, Saif Hassan, Naim Sheikh; If we, the local players, do well and deliver match-winning performances, then we can do well as a team also," Shoriful told the reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Monday.

Shoriful, who will have his national team pace partner Taskin Ahmed firing for Dhaka, has been one of Bangladesh's most prolific pacers in terms of taking wickets in the white-ball formats. He has taken a total of 40 wickets in 24 innings which was only bettered by Taskin's 42 scalps in 25 innings. 

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

The 22-year-old managed to play Dhaka's first three matches last season taking four wickets and influencing a solitary victory. His side got another victory in the next two matches before going on a six-match losing streak that ended their hopes of reaching the top four. A win in their last group-stage match helped Dhaka finish seventh, a place above bottom-placed Chattogram Challengers.

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Bangladesh aim to use the 10th edition of the tournament as preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies in June.

Shoriful backed his fellow players to sharpen their T20 skills ahead of the marquee event. 

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

"The BPL will help us a lot since we have a T20 World Cup coming up. This is our main T20 tournament, so everyone will try to perform and do something new," Shoriful said.