BPL 2019: One player to look out for in each team
2019 is here and even before the first week ends, another T20 league will be underway. January 5 will mark the beginning of the sixth edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Defending champions Rangpur Riders will square off against Chittagong Vikings to kick-start the one-month long T20 extravaganza.
Rangpur Riders, Chittagong Vikings, Comilla Victorians, Khulna Titans, Dhaka Dynamites, Rajshahi Kings and Sylhet Sixers are the seven participating teams who will play 46 matches, including the playoffs and the final to determine the winner.
In late October, over 500 players were a part of the player draft and over 100 players were picked by the seven franchises.
A number of international overseas and Bangladesh players will take part in the league and hence, with only a few days to go for the tournament, let’s take a quick look at one player to watch out for from each team.
Rangpur Riders – AB de Villiers
On May 23rd, 2018, AB de Villiers shocked the world when he announced his retirement from international cricket. However, he did reveal that he was open to playing other forms of cricket across the globe. Thus, it was no surprise that the South African star was the main attraction during the draft for this season that took place a couple of months back.
AB de Villiers returned to the field for the first time since announcing his international retirement in the Mzansi Super League (MSL) while playing for the Tshwane Spartans. He scored 282 runs at an average of 31.33 and a strike-rate of 162.06 which included a couple of fifties. However, despite finishing in the top ten run-getters, the 34-year-old star batsman didn’t really hit his straps as he looked patchy on occasions. He started and finished the tournament with half-centuries but had middling scores throughout the season.
However, he will certainly be one of the stars to watch out for and will be a key player for the Rangpur Riders as they look to defend their title.
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