After a month-long cricketing extravaganza, curtain will be closed today (Friday) of Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League’s (BBPL’s) seventh edition. The match is scheduled to start at 7:00 pm. There will be a new name on the BPL trophy this year as for the first time Khulna Tigers and Rajshahi Royals will lock horns in a final at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur today.
This year’s BBPL kicked off in an unprofessional manner with the dismal opening ceremony. However, the action on the pitch gave the cricket enthusiasts nothing short of thrilling encounters. Therefore, ahead of today’s final a closely contested match is what cricket lovers will crave for. This final will also add extra spice as fans are awaiting for an electrifying individual battle between Rajshahi’s hard hitter and Khulna’s fiery pace bowler Mohammad Amir. Both played pivotal roles to book their respective team’s final berth.
Khulna Tigers advanced to their first BBPL final as some inspirational bowling from Mohammad Amir proved to be the difference when defeating Rajshahi Royals in their qualifying contest. Overall, Khulna is a balanced team with Mushfiqur Rahim and Riley Rossouw being the highest run getters in the tourney with 470 and 450 runs respectively. Amir is a lethal bowler, whose fiery pace troubled the opposition batsmen throughout the tournament. For Khulna, a lot will rely on how these three players will perform.
On the other hand, Rajshahi Royals responded well to their defeat against Khulna Tigers in their first qualifying game as with Andre Russell’s unbelievable batting they edged Chattogram Challengers to progress to the final. With Russell, Shoaib Malik, Liton Das and others Rajshahi have a formidable batting lineup. Rajshahi’s bowling prowess rely on Mohammad Irfan’s pace and Shoaib Malik’s spin. The stage is set for an enthralling final between two exciting teams. Only time will tell which team prevail.