Chittagong, Khulna vie for BPL final tomorrow

Dhaka, 4 Feb -In a bid to confirm the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) final, Chittagong Kings will take on Khulna Tigers in the Qualifer-2 game Wednesday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

This will be the second chance for both of the teams to keep them alive for the coveted trophy.

Khulna, who confirmed the playoffs at the last moment, met Rangpur Riders in the Eliminator game but showing an unwavering resolve, they sealed a nine-wicket victory to keep them in the race.

Chittagong Kings finished at the top two and got the opportunity to seal the final at the first attempt. But they crumbled against a formidable Fortune Barishal to taste a nine-wicket defeat.

While Barishal confirmed the final straightway, Chittagong now would have to beat Khulna for the ultimate destination. However, Chittagong captain Mohammad Mithun said they have no plan to bring in any new overseas players before this match.

"There is no such plan (to bring overseas recruits) yet. It is not just about big names. You have to give them enough time to cope with the condition. It's not that they will come and deliver straightway," Mithun said.

"From a cricketing point of view, (such a situation) is not ideal. There is a problem of jet lag due to the journey."

Pakistan's Usman Khan, and Mohammad Wasim Jr. have played for Chittagong Kings among the foreigners in the current season. Currently, the team has overseas recruits like Khawaja Nafay, Graham Clark, Haider Ali and Binura Fernando.