Defending champions Riders are the team to beat at the moment, having won their last six encounters on the trot to finish on top in the league - edging ahead of Comilla due to a superior Net Run Rate. They will be high on confidence after their new-found form and will hold a psychological edge over the Victorians, whom they defeated twice in this edition of the BPL.
However, the side will be without their two premier batsmen in the Qualifiers - with Alex Hales already being ruled out due to injury and AB de Villiers returning back after the league stages ended - which can effectively cripple the Riders. Ravi Bopara though was given a chance in the last game and seized his chance by grabbing 3 for 7, and he will once again be expected to pitch in with a match-winning performance.
Comilla too have injury concerns of their own, with Evin Lewis battling a hamstring injury after scoring an unbeaten 109 in their clash with the Khulna Titans. If the West Indian is not fit, Liam Dawson is expected to hold on to his position. The duo of Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Saifuddin, who has plucked 17 wickets in the tournament so far, were rested in Comilla's last game and they are expected to return for this crucial game. With both sides containing enough firepower, needless to say it will be the team that manages to hold their nerves in pressure situations that will emerge victorious.
Player
Defending champions Riders are the team to beat at the moment, having won their last six encounters on the trot to finish on top in the league - edging ahead of Comilla due to a superior Net Run Rate. They will be high on confidence after their new-found form and will hold a psychological edge over the Victorians, whom they defeated twice in this edition of the BPL.
However, the side will be without their two premier batsmen in the Qualifiers - with Alex Hales already being ruled out due to injury and AB de Villiers returning back after the league stages ended - which can effectively cripple the Riders. Ravi Bopara though was given a chance in the last game and seized his chance by grabbing 3 for 7, and he will once again be expected to pitch in with a match-winning performance.
Comilla too have injury concerns of their own, with Evin Lewis battling a hamstring injury after scoring an unbeaten 109 in their clash with the Khulna Titans. If the West Indian is not fit, Liam Dawson is expected to hold on to his position. The duo of Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Saifuddin, who has plucked 17 wickets in the tournament so far, were rested in Comilla's last game and they are expected to return for this crucial game. With both sides containing enough firepower, needless to say it will be the team that manages to hold their nerves in pressure situations that will emerge victorious.
Player Recommendations:
Wicket-keeper: Mohammad Mithun (8.5 credits)
Both Mithun and Comilla's Haque have not had the best of tournaments, with the latter scoring 181 runs at an average of 22.62 with a strike-rate of 113.83 and the latter managing 137 runs at a poor average of 11.41 and a strike-rate of 93.19. Given the stats thus far, Mithun seems a better pick, but only just.
Batsman: Rilee Rossouw (10.5 credits)
Rossouw is the tournament's leading run-scorer and has been the most consistent player for the Riders. He has amassed 514 runs in 11 innings, which has come at an average of 85.66. With one unbeaten century and five fifties that have been scored at a strike-rate of 151.17, Rossouw has been the go-to player for his side and a lot will depend on the player once again in a crucial game.
All-rounder: Shahid Afridi (10 credits)
Both sides have quality all-rounders in their ranks, but I have gone ahead with Comilla's Afridi as his experience can come to good use in a high-pressure game. Though the Pakistani has not found much form with the bat, he has been on fire with the ball, picking up 16 wickets at an economy rate of just 5.82. The player also has potential to smash the balls out of the park with the willow in hand, and hence it will be tough to overlook him.
Bowler: Mashrafe Mortaza (9.5 credits)
There was a tough decision between Rangpur's Mortaza and Comilla's Saifuddin, but I have picked the former because of his experience, which can be handy in a crucial match. The skipper is his side's leading wicket-taker, having scalped 19 wickets at an average of 16.42. His economy rate of 6.63 makes him a dangerous prospect, with rivals finding it tough to score off him.
Captain: Shahid Afridi
Vice-captain: Mashrafe Mortaza
