BPL 2019, Dhaka Dynamites vs Khulna Titans: Preview, team news and playing XI
After facing a defeat in their opening fixture against Rangpur Riders, Khulna Titans will hope to put first points on the table when they face Dhaka Dynamites in the fifth game of Bangladesh Premier League 2019 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on Tuesday, January 8.
Both teams have played five matches against each other in the Bangladesh Premier League, with three of those having been won by the Dhaka Dynamites and two by the Khulna Titans.
Dhaka Dynamites
The Dynamites started off their BPL campaign with an impressive performance against Rajshahi Kings and would like to continue it against Khulna Titans.
Batting
The opening pair of Hazratullah Zazai (78 runs from 41 balls) and Sunil Narine (38 runs from 28 balls) played a key role in Dhaka win as they shared a massive 116-run opening partnership in just 10.4 overs. Both looked in decent touch and played some powerful shots during their stay at the crease. They will be expected to set their team off to a flier against Khulna as well.
Shuvagata Hom (38 runs from 14 balls) tried to manage their innings after a minor middle order collapse against Kings. Hom proved his worth in the lower middle order in the first match and can be destructive if given a chance. Their lineup also boasts of strong T20 campaigners in Andre Russell, Shakib Al Hasan and Kieron Pollard, which makes them a team to reckon with.
Bowling
The Dhaka Dynamites bowling was supremely effective in the first game. None of their frontline bowlers provided any room for the opponents to score easily. Rubel Hossain was the pick of the lot with three wickets in the match and he will be expected to replicate his performance in the upcoming match too.
Shakib Al Hasan and Mohor Sheikh shared three wickets between them, and the duo will be expected to strangle the Titans batsmen in the next game.
Expected Playing XI
Shakib Al Hasan (C), Kieron Pollard, Shuvagata Hom, Nurul Hasan, Rubel Hossain, Mizanur Rahman, Mohor Sheikh, Hazratullah Zazai, Sunil Narine, Rony Talukdar and Andre Russell.
Khulna Titans
Khulna Titans lost a close fought encounter to Rangpur Riders in their previous game by eight runs. The tournament is still in its early stages and the team will eye comeback against Dhaka Dynamites and open their account in the points table.
Batting
The failure of middle-order batsmen dented Khulna chances in the previous game. Their middle order batsmen Nazmul Shanto, Ariful Haque and Mahmudullah wasted the momentum garnered by opening wicket partnership. The team will need these three to hold the fort during the middle overs and propel the team towards a good score.
Openers Paul Stirling (61) and Junaid Siddique (33) played a key role during their first outing against Riders as they shared a 90-run opening stand. These two will be expected to perform on similar lines against a good bowling attack of Dhaka.
Bowling
Ali Khan, Zahir Khan and Carlos Brathwaite took one wicket each and they are expected to pose a major threat to the Dynamites. Although Taijul Islam failed to pick wickets in the previous game, he was most economical among the lot. He gave just 18 runs in three overs and he will be expected to trouble the batsmen during the middle overs.
Expected Playing XI
Mahmudullah (C), Ariful Haque, Carlos Brathwaite, Jahurul Islam, Shoriful Islam, Ali Khan, Taijul Islam, Paul Stirling, Junaid Siddique, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Dawid Malan.