Barishal eyeing to keep BPL final hopes alive
Fortune Barishal vowed to hit back to winning way after two consecutive defeats in the last two matches as they take on Rangpur Riders in the Eliminator game of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) on Sunday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
The knockout match starts at 1.30 PM and will be aired live on Nagorik Television.
The winner of the match will get another chance to give a shot at the final as they will take on the looser of the first Qualifier game between Sylhet Strikers and Comilla Victorians. But the looser of the Eliminator game will be eliminated straightway.
Hence no team could afford to lose the game. Both of the teams however came off a defeat but for Barishal the situation looked gloomy as they lost two matches in a row after confirming the last four stage. Rangpur however lost their last game to Comilla Victorians, a defeat that forced them to play the Eliminator game. Beforehand, Rangpur won six matches in a row to move into the top four.
Shakib Al Hasan-led Barishal were consistent throughout the group phase, making them a strong contender to finish on top two positions but they failed to keep up the consistency in the last stage, largely due to Shakib's off form with the willow.
Their batting lost its shine after the departure of Pakistan recruit Iftikhar Ahmed who gave them talismanic impetus in some matches to keep the side going. In a bid to bolster the batting, Barishal recruited Sri Lankan hard-hitter Bhanuka Rajapakse. Apart from him, they had already roped in South African allrounder Dwaine Pretorius who shined in with allround performance despite the team's defeat at the hands of Khulna Tigers in the last match.
Rangpur Riders though started the tournament miserably, found their form as it progressed. They lost both of their group matches against Barishal by six wickets and 67 runs. But those two defeats came before their winning streak started. When they were in winning streak, they even defeated tournament's most consistent side Sylhet Strikers.
Moreover they were further bolstered by the inclusion of Sri Lanka allrounder Dasun Shanaka. Apart from him, they also closed in on to recruit an inform Sikandar Raja.
Source: BSS
