BPL 2017, Match 34 Preview: Comilla Victorians vs Dhaka Dynamites

It’s another marquee clash in context to how the tournament panned out, as Comilla Victorians take on the high-flying Dhaka Dynamites. There’s drama every where in the table, as three teams at the bottom are struggling for survival and the other four are fighting it out hard to earn a spot in the top 2, which earns them a second shot at the finals.

A win on Wednesday will see the Victorians rise through to the top of the table once again. They have been scintillating throughout this tournament and a fantastic win against the Khulna Titans almost helped them dislodge the Titans’ number one spot. They can still do that, by beating the Dynamites and they will have an extra game in hand, which will give them some respite.

Dhaka Dynamites have lost a couple of games quite amusingly, which is the reason they are not at the top right now. Nevertheless, they have all the resources in the world to finish in the top 2. From their batting department to bowling, everything looks perfectly settled and this game is all set raise the bars of this edition.

Comilla Victorians (Predicted XI): Shoaib Malik, Alok Kapali, Tamim Iqbal (C), Imrul Kayes, Jos Buttler (wk), Al-Amin Hossain, Mujeeb Zadran, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Saifuddin, Hasan Ali, Mahedi Hasan.

Dhaka Dynamites (Predicted XI): Shahid Afridi, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Nadif Chowdhury, Kieron Pollard, Mohammad Amir, Sunil Narine, Jahurul Islam (wk), Abu Hider Rony, Mosaddek Hossain, Evin Lewis, Mehedi Maruf

Focus will be on

Shoaib Malik (Comilla)

The veteran from Pakistan, Shoaib Malik did a fantastic job in the previous game for the Victorians. He chipped in with a crucial 3 wicket-haul and bowled brilliantly taking control of the new ball. Malik has been performing consistently for the side and in this big game, which can earn them a very hefty price, they’ll want him to be at his best.

Evin Lewis (Dhaka)

Evin Lewis has raised the bars of an explosive opener and is setting new standards, which are too astronomical for many to reach. The southpaw has clobbering bowling units mercilessly and is proving himself to be the perfect heir to the legendary Chris Gayle. Lewis is a bit more profound technically, which only escalates his market price in the shortest format.

Playing Combinations

Comilla Victorians

Tamim Iqbal and Fakhar Zaman will open the innings for the Victorians. With the in-form Imrul Kayes coming in at number 3, they have loads of experience in their middle order, which comprises of big names like Shoaib Malik, Jos Buttler, Alok Kapali, and Mohammad Saifuddin, who can tonk the ball a long way.

Hasan Ali was the star last time, picking up a crucial five-fer. He will be accompanied by some stellar fast bowling talents like Saifuddin and Al-Amin Hossain. They used all their three spinners judiciously last time and Malik, Mujeeb Zadran, and Mahedi Hasan will come in to play very early in the game one again.

Dhaka Dynamites

The most explosive opening pair thus far, Sunil Narine and Evin Lewis have been outstanding. With Shahid Afridi coming in at number 3, they can make a case for being the most devastating top 3 in the world. Shakib Al Hasan, Jahurul Islam, Kieron Pollard and Mehidy Mahruf will follow the top 3 in the middle order.

Apart from the three masterclass spinners in Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, and Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Amir’s return to the side has just boosted their strength. Abu Hider Rony has been amongst the wickets and they have two decent part-timers in Mosaddek Hossain and Pollard.

StatAttack

9 – Evin Lewis needs 9 runs to overtake Ravi Bopara as the highest run-scorer this season.

44.86 – Amongst all the openers in the league, Evin Lewis has the best strike-rate.