After a poor Sylhet leg which saw Khulna Titans still dwell at the bottom of the table, Mahmudullah and co will try and restart their campaign for good as they take on the defending champions, Rangpur Riders in a must-win clash.
Rangpur Riders chased down a mammoth target against Sylhet courtesy of vital contributions from Rilee Rossouw and the debuting AB de Villiers.
Khulna will have their task cut out but with their coach Mahela Jayawardene, well known for his miracles with Mumbai Indians, this match is sure to be an entertaining one.
Squads to choose from:
Khulna Titans
Mahmudullah, Ariful Haque, Carlos Brathwaite, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Dawid Malan, Jahurul Islam, Shariful Islam, Taijul Islam, Al-Amin, Zahir Khan, Brendan Taylor, Sherfane Rutherford, Subashis Roy, Junaid Siddique, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Tanvir Islam, Lasith Malinga, Yasir Shah and Paul Stirling
Rangpur Riders:
Mashrafe Mortaza(C), Nazmul Islam, Ravi Bopara, Mohammad Mithun, Chris Gayle, Alex Hales, AB de Villiers, Shafiul Islam, Sohag Gazi, Farhad Reza, Mehedi Maruf, Abul Hasan, Rilee Rossouw, Nahidul Islam, Nadif Chowdhury, Benny Howell, Oshane Thomas.
Playing XI Updates:
Khulna Titans:
Khulna have been constantly making changes with their side rather than settling and backing one. In their previous losses to the Comilla Victorians and Chittagong Vikings, their overall performance was not bad although they would rue the fact that none of their local bowlers were able to make any inroads.
Possible XI: Malan, Siddique, Al-Amin, Taylor(WK), Mahmudullah (C), Ariful, Wiese, Taijul, Malinga/Junaid, Shariful and Roy
Rangpur Riders:
Rangpur stacked up the top order with all their overseas options leaving them light on bowling resources. While the batting did come off, this isn't an ideal scenario for the Riders.
Chris Gayle hasn't come off for Riders and could be replaced with Oshane Thomas although it is unlikely.
Possible XI: Gayle, Hales, de Villiers, Rossouw, Mithun(WK), Nahidul, Mortaza(C), Reza, Gazi, Nazmul and Shafiul.
Fantasy Tips and Suggestions:
Wicket-keeper: With uncertainty surrounding the inclusion of Brendan Taylor in the Khulna side, Mohammad Mithun is the safer pick to go for as wicket-keeper. The Bangladeshi keeper has also performed well too, making him a viable pick as well.
Batsmen: Two of the fearsome quartet of AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, Alex Hales and the leading run-scorer of the BPL 2019 so far, Rilee Rossouw, would be sufficient with all of them capable of extreme destruction on their day.
Junaid Siddique has been the best batsman for Khulna this season and should come up with the goods if Khulna are to open their account in Dhaka.
All-rounders: Mahmudullah has been fairly decent and with the Khulna fans banking on their captain for a desperate win and he should be backed in a crucial clash for the Titans. David Wiese and Farhad Reza are also viable options for the fantasy teams.
Bowlers: Lasith Malinga, Mashrafe Mortaza, Shafiul Islam and Taijul Islam are the best options to round in the fantasy side for this clash.
Mortaza and Shafiul have 25 wickets between them making them one of the potent bowling pairs in the competition this season. Malinga has also been good so far and Jayawardene will hope that his former teammate will perform well in a must-win clash for the Titans.
Captain: AB de Villiers may not be playing regularly but still possesses the same ability and tenacity which has seen him garner billions of fans over the years. de Villiers, along with Gayle, are the prime contenders with Mahmudullah also an outside option.
Fantasy Suggestion #1: Mohammad Mithun(WK), Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Junaid Siddique, Mahmudullah, David Wiese, Farhad Reza, Mashrafe Mortaza, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam and Lasith Malinga. Captain: AB de Villiers
Fantasy Suggestion #2: Mohammad Mithun(WK), Rilee Rossouw, AB de Villiers, Junaid Siddique, Al-Amin, Mahmudullah, Farhad Reza, David Wiese, Taijul Islam, Shafiul Islam and Mashrafe Mortaza. Captain: Mahmudullah
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