Comilla Victorians vs Rangpur Riders Tips & Preview - Playoff hopeful clash in crucial BPL fixture

Both teams are in action in Monday’s schedule of the BPL, which means the table could move around before both teams take the field. 

As of Monday, Rangpur Riders are at the top of the BPL table, with eight wins in 10 games, an indicator of their consistency and prowess right through this tournament. 

Comilla Victorians, however, are not that far behind, with seven wins in their first nine games. Both teams have been a cut above the rest which is also evident through their superior net run rate.

Rangpur will have to find a way to replace their most prolific run-scorer this season in Babar Azam, who had managed 251 runs in just six games. 

He will remain unavailable for the rest of the tournament with the Pakistan Super League having already started. In his absence, it is likely that Rangpur will rely on Nurul Hasan, who has managed 203 runs this season at a strike rate of close to 140. 

In the bowling department, Rangpur have two of the best spinners in Bangladesh, in Mahedi Hasan and Shakib Al Hasan, who will control the middle of a T20 innings. 

Mahedi is the second-highest wicket-taker this tournament, with 15 wickets at an economy rate of just 6.55. He also has a strike rate of 11.46, which means he takes a wicket every two overs. 

Comilla may not have the services of one of their talisman bowling options in Mustafizur Rahman, who was taken to hospital after taking a hit to the head during a training session.

"During practice a ball hit directly at the left parietal area (head) of Mustafizur Rahman," Zahidul Islam, the team physio, said. "There was an open wound at his parietal area and we have worked with compression bandage to stop bleeding and immediately had shifted him to Imperial hospital. After CT scan we are satisfied that he had only external injury. There is no intracranial bleeding.”

While Rangpur are missing some of their key players, Comilla may also have to do without Mustafizur as he recovers from a head injury. That will be a big blow to Comilla in the playoffs. 

It is highly likely that he will be rested and given time to recover, which should impact the team’s chances against one of the best teams in the tournament. 

Rangpur seem like they have enough depth and confidence to come out on top of this but Comilla will look at this encounter as an opportunity to get ahead of the chasing pack. With more at stake, Comilla have a lot more to lose, which should result in a better performance from the Victorians.