Rangpur, Comilla face off for a direct spot in BPL final

Dhaka, 25 Feb - Rangpur Riders hope to overcome a Comilla Victorians threat to confirm the final of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) at the first chance. 

Comilla also harbored the similar hopes as they are eyeing to clinch the hat-trick BPL title. Comilla are the most successful team in BPL history, winning the coveted trophy for four times. 

In fact, they won those four titles in the last seven editions. And to make the stat more awesome, they have never lost a final, which means, if they can overcome Rangpur Riders' test, their chances for a hat-trick title will be brightened further.

The two teams however will meet in the Qualifier-1, a game that will decide which team will confirm the final straightaway, tomorrow (Monday) at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. The match starts at 6.30 PM.

The looser won't be eliminated straightway; rather they will play the second Qualifier game against the winner of the Eliminator game to give a second shot to the final. 

Bolstered by Shakib Al Hasan, Rangpur has been the most successful team in this season, winning nine matches out of 12. They though started horribly, losing two in first three but as the time progressed, they got their rhythm back to make them a strong contender for the title.

Their third defeat came in their last match when Comilla Victorians beat them by six wickets. However in the first-leg match, Rangpur beat Comilla by eight runs, meaning no teams had the upper-hand in group phase. 

Comilla finished group phase in second spot with eight wins from 12 matches. Like Rangpur they also made a horrendous start before getting their mojo back.

The arrival of Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Moeen Ali further bolstered their strength but Rangpur also looked stable when Shakib Al Hasan started performing, defying his eye problem. Shakib's performance in the tomorrow's game will be key in deciding the match regardless of Russell or Narine impact.

"Comilla are really a strong team. They have played superb cricket but its T20 game, anything can happen," Rangpur captain Nurul Hasan Sohan said here today.

"It's always simple: the team which will play better cricket, will win the game. So our target is to play our best cricket and confirm the final in the first chance."