BPL 2019: Pre-tournament Bangladesh XI

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2019 is the sixth edition of the tournament scheduled to be played from 5 January. Even though the tournament was slated to be played in October last year, it had to be postponed due to the general elections in the country. The season promises to entertain the fans on a larger scale because of the various innovations that are brought in.

Decision Review System (DRS) will make its debut in the league this year for the first time. A total of seven teams will compete in 46 games before the ultimate winner is decided. Also, only four overseas players are allowed in the eleven this season instead of five. Therefore, it puts a lot of emphasis on the Bangladeshi stars who are expected to play vital roles for their respective teams.

Here is the pre-tournament Bangladesh XI for BPL 2019:

1. Tamim Iqbal | Comilla Victorians

The left-handed opener has been one of the most important members in the Bangladesh side for a long time now. Tamim Iqbal is a proven performer in the BPL as well and is the all-time second-highest run scorer. In 44 matches, he has scored 1,358 runs at an average of 35 and strike rate of 121. However, he is capable of a lot more and the fans will thus wish that he ups the ante in the upcoming edition of the league.

2. Imrul Kayes | Comilla Victorians

Tamim Iqbal’s opening partner in the Victorians, Imrul Kayes is another one of the better performers in the BPL. Kayes piled up 1,149 runs in 54 matches at an average of 23 and strike rate of 112. However, he has also registered as many as eight ducks, the highest in the history of the tournament which is quite disappointing. Imrul will wish to improve upon those numbers which are hardly a testimony of his capability.

3. Sabbir Rahman | Sylhet Sixers

In this pre-tournament BPL XI, Sabbir Rahman will bat up the order at number three. Sabbir has stated that he wants to make a comeback into the national team with some good performance in the BPL. Hence, this edition of the tournament is a crucial one for him. He will have to express himself freely and play without much of a pressure. Sabbir, to date, scored 1,121 runs at an average of 23 and hit about 122 runs per every 100 balls that he faced.

4. Mushfiqur Rahim (wk) | Chittagong Vikings

Mushfiqur Rahim is one of the seasoned campaigners in the BPL yet, he has slightly struggled with his consistency over the years. He has, however, managed to be amongst the top run-scorers and is currently third on the list. In 58 matches, the wicketkeeper-batsman tallied 1,357 runs at an average of 32. His strike rate of 128 is right up amongst the other Bangladeshi big-hitters. His role will be to anchor the middle-order of the Vikings and possibly accelerate towards the end.

5. Shakib Al Hasan (C) | Dhaka Dynamites

Shakib Al Hasan is quite a legendary figure in the league. He is easily the best performer in the BPL over the years and adds a great value to his side. Since he is equally capable with both bat as well as the ball, his performance will be important for the Dhaka Dynamites. He is the all-time fourth highest run-scorer with 1,182 runs and has picked up more wickets – 83 than anybody else in the league. His strike rate of 134 is the highest amongst the Bangladesh batsmen.

6. Mahmudullah | Khulna Titans

The Bangladesh Test captain is the highest scorer in the history of the Bangladesh Premier League. There is a tough competition for the top spot and Mahmudullah has to be at the top of his game to stay as the leading run-scorer. In 63 games, he has accumulated 1,400 runs at an average of just over 27 and a strike rate of 116. He also has 31 wickets to his name.

7. Anamul Haque | Comilla Victorians

Anamul Haque is another one of those few batsmen who has scored over a 1,000 runs in the league. For this edition of the league, he shifted bases to the Comilla Victorians and might get to bat much higher up the order in that line-up. He was out there in the middle to bat 53 times in the 58 games that he played. Anamul scored 1,130 runs at an impressive strike rate of 120 and an average of about 25. However, he was dismissed for a duck on five instances and has got the highest score of 83 to his name.

8. Mashrafe Mortaza | Rangpur Riders

Mashrafe Mortaza is quite an economical customer with the ball in hand. He provides the team with timely breakthroughs and can bowl well at the death. Furthermore, he is more than capable of striking a few lusty blows towards the end of the innings. Mortaza is the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the league and has got 51 scalps to his name in 60 games. The new Member of Parliament (MP) will represent the Rangpur Riders in BPL 2019.

9. Shafiul Islam | Rangpur Riders

Shafiul Islam has been around for quite a long time now. But the injuries and inconsistencies led to his downfall in the last few years. However, when it comes to BPL, his performance is right up there with some of the best players. He is the third highest wicket-taker in the league with 54 wickets in 49 games. His economy rate which is just above 8 is decent enough for someone who opens the bowling and bowls at the death.

10. Rubel Hossain | Dhaka Dynamites

Rubel Hossain is another important member of the Dhaka Dynamites. His strike rate of 17 with the ball is amongst the best for pacers in the BPL. The right-arm fast bowler picked up 48 wickets in 41 games at an average of 23 and economy rate just over 8. He will be representing the Dhaka Dynamites in BPL 6.

11. Mosharraf Hossain | Comilla Victorians

The 37-year-old left-arm orthodox bowler made his ODI debut in 2008 and has played just 5 ODIs for Bangladesh. Yet, his stint in the BPL has been quite a successful one. Mosharraf Hossain will represent the Comilla Victorians in this edition of the tournament. He picked up 47 wickets in 46 games and is a great miser with the ball. His economy rate of 6.35 is terrific for T20 cricket and has picked up two four-wicket hauls in the league.

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