There is little room for error in the Bangladesh Premier League with the competition having reached the business end. Hence, the contest is only going to be intriguing further in BPL 2016, and the same can be expected when Rangpur Riders take on Rajshahi Kings at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Monday.
The Riders started the BPL 2016 on a good note, winning matches on a consistent basis, but their form of late is a cause of concern. They lost their last two matches, which makes this contest even more important for them. Besides their form, this match against the Kings will also be their back-to-back game as they were involved in an encounter against Chittagong Vikings on Sunday. So, the question of fatigue does arise.
Riders' top order is strong with the likes of Mohammad Shahzad, Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Mithun, but they need to contribute more with the bat. After getting starts, they are not able to convert their starts into meaningful scores. In the bowling department, Shahid Afridi might have been decent, but they need Anwar Ali to pick up wickets as well.
With Kings having some quality batsmen in their ranks including Umar Akmal, Darren Sammy, Samit Patel and Sabbir Rahman, the Riders bowlers cannot afford to give these players freebies. The Kings come into the fixture with huge confidence, having won their last three games. They have momentum on their side.
The Kings also defeated Riders in their last encounter by 12 runs with their players looking good in all departments. But the Kings are aware that the Riders are in revenge mood and will be desperate to defeat them and move to a minimum of second place in the standings.
There is not much to choose between the two teams, but the team which plays consistent cricket on Monday will have a greater chance of emerging victorious.
Where to watch live
Rangpur Riders vs Rajshahi Kings clash will take shape from 5.45 pm local time (5.15 pm IST). TV and live streaming options can be found below for the matches.
India: TV: Sony Six and Sony Six HD. Live Streaming: Sonyliv.
Bangladesh: TV: Channel Nine BD.
Pakistan: TV: Geo Super
