Rangpur and Barishal face off in blockbuster clash
The second qualifier of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) between Rangpur Riders and Fortune Barishal is expected to be a cracker of a contest at the Sher-e-Bangla National stadium in Mirpur today.
The rivalry between the two former friends – Barishal's Tamim Iqbal and Rangpur's Shakib Al Hasan – only intensifies the hype of the fixture as the winner will take on Comilla Victorians in the final of the tournament on March 1.
The last time the two sides met, a fierce competition was witnessed, leading to Rangpur winning by a solitary wicket, and controversy followed from Tamim mimicking Shakib's celebration after the latter got out.
Both stars are in red-hot form, with Tamim having peaked for Barishal at the right time. The dashing left-hander is currently the second-best run-getter in the ongoing edition, with 443 runs in 13 games.
The 34-year-old led from the front recently, striking consecutive fifties against Comilla and Chattogram Challengers in the eliminator, and thus will be carrying huge expectations on his shoulders to guide his side to the final.
Shakib, on the other hand, also rediscovered his mojo after a below-par outing at the start of the BPL, but the champion all-rounder seemingly overcame his eye issue and gradually looked in his element as the tournament progressed.
With 17 wickets in 12 games, Shakib currently holds the second place in the list of wicket-takers. He also scored 254 runs but more importantly, the star cricketer managed to overcome his initial batting struggle in the last few matches with great authority.
Both teams are also bolstered by several big names, adding to the aura of the most-anticipated battle of the tournament.
Barishal, despite a shaky start to the tournament, managed to gain momentum, powered by the likes of Kyle Mayers, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad and the late inclusion of David Miller makes their batting line-up one of the best in the competition.
However, the bowling unit is perhaps an area of concern for Barishal. Apart from Mohammad Saifuddin and Taijul Islam, none of the bowlers were able to perform consistently.
Rangpur, on the other hand, despite Jimmy Neesham's blistering and unbeaten 97-run knock in the first qualifier, were unable to defend a challenging 186 against Comilla.
Nicholas Pooran and Mohammad Nabi will have to come up with their best, with Shakib expected to assume the leading role with the bat after failing in the previous game against Comilla.
The inclusion of Afghan seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi can play the x-factor, especially given his track record against Tamim, since the left-arm seamer had the better of Tamim on quite a few occasions in the international stage.