Cricket
BPL 2023: Barishal eliminate Khulna from playoff race
Fortune Barishal, led by Shakib Al Hasan, eliminated Khulna Tigers from the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) playoffs race with a 37-run win on Friday in Mirpur.
This was Khulna's eighth loss in 10 matches and they can no longer change their fate with two remaining matches.
Barishal, on the other hand, have won seven of their 10 matches and are currently in second place on the points table with 14 points, two points behind Sylhet Strikers, who confirmed a playoff berth earlier.
After losing the toss, Barishal batted first and posted a challenging total of 194 for 5, with Iftekhar Ahmed scoring 51 off 31 balls with three fours and three sixes. Fazle Mahmud and Shakib also contributed with 39 and 36 runs, respectively.
Paul van Meekeren took three wickets for the Tigers, giving up 48 runs in four overs.
In response, Khulna's captain Yasir Ali scored 60 off 38 balls but was unable to secure a win for his team. Key batters Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudul Hasan Joy failed to deliver.
Afghan pacer Karim Janat took four wickets for 29 runs, while Khaled Ahmed took two for 36 runs.
England announce squads for Bangladesh tour
The England Men's selection panel has announced two 15-player squads for the upcoming ODI and IT20 series against Bangladesh, set to take place next month.
The inclusion of uncapped Somerset batter, Tom Abell, has drawn attention. He is set to captain England in the upcoming ODI series in Sri Lanka.
Leicestershire leg-spinner, Rehan Ahmed, has earned his first call-up to an England white ball squad, a testament to his hard work and consistent performances.
The panel has also added Saqib Mahmood to the ODI squad, as he prepares to make his return to international cricket after suffering a back injury last May.
The three-match T20 series will be England's first after winning the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Australia last November.
The England team will arrive in Dhaka on February 20 and play two warm-up matches on February 24 and 26.
The ODI series will begin with the first match on March 1 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. The second and third ODIs will be played on March 3 and 6.
The third match will be played at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.
The T20Is will start on March 9 in Chattogram. The remaining two T20Is will be played on March 12 and 14 in Mirpur.
ODI squad
Jos Buttler (captain), Tom Abell, Rehan Ahmed, Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Sam Curran, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, James Vince, Chris Woakes
T20 squad
Jos Buttler (captain), Tom Abell, Rehan Ahmed, Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Chris Woakes,Mark Wood
BPL 2023: Tickets for final leg on sale from Thursday
Fans of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) are in for a treat as tickets for the third Dhaka phase of the tournament go on sale starting Thursday. This phase will kick off on February 3 in Dhaka.
With six different stands to choose from, there's a seat for everyone. The Grand Stand tickets are priced at tk 1,500, VIP Stand tickets are tk 1,000, Club House tickets are tk 500, North/South Stand tickets are tk 300, and Eastern Stand tickets are tk 200.
Ticket counters will be located at the Shaheed Suhrawardi Indoor Stadium in Mirpur and at a ticket booth adjacent to Gate 1 of Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. Tickets will be available for purchase on match days and the day before each match. The ticket counters/booths will be open from 9:30am to 7:30pm.
The previous legs of this year’s BPL took place in Sylhet after early phases in Dhaka, Chattogram.
Currently, the Sylhet Strikers lead the league with 8 wins out of 10 matches played, 2 losses, and 16 points. The Strikers are the only team who have confirmed a playoff berth.
Read more: BPL 2023: Dhaka beat Barishal to stay alive
Fortune Barishal and Comilla Victorians are tied for second place, with 6 wins each, 3 losses, and 12 points each, though the Victorians have a better run rate. Rangpur Riders are in fourth place with 5 wins, 3 losses, and 10 points.
Dhaka Dominators are in fifth place with 3 wins, 7 losses, and 6 points, while Khulna Tigers and Chattogram Challengers are tied for sixth place with 2 wins each, 7 losses each, and 4 points each. Khulna Tigers are on a slightly better place with a better run rate than Chattogram.
BPL 2023: Comilla Victorians shock Khulna Tigers in high-scoring BPL encounter
The Comilla Victorians made remarkable history in Tuesday's Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) match, succeeding in their chase of a target surpassing 200 runs and defeating the Khulna Tigers in Sylhet.
Khulna Tigers put up a strong score with contributions from Tamim Iqbal and Shai Hope, scoring 95 and 91 runs respectively, setting a total of 210 for 2 wickets.
However, the highlight of the match was Johnson Charles from the Comilla Victorians, who scored an impressive century with 107 runs and 11 sixes.
Comilla started off on the backfoot with early losses from Litton Das and Imrul Kayes while chasing a big target, but a crucial third-wicket partnership between Mohammad Rizwan and Johnson Charles of 122 runs sealed a fantastic victory for the Victorians. Rizwan made a significant contribution of 73 runs with 4 sixes.
Comilla achieved their chase with 7 wickets in hand and 10 balls to spare, marking their sixth consecutive win and moving up to third place in the points table with 6 wins in 9 matches.
Read more: BPL 2023: Dhaka beat Barishal to stay alive
On the other hand, Khulna suffered their seventh loss in 9 matches and currently sit in sixth place with a mere 4 points.
The Sylhet phase of the BPL has come to a close and the tournament will now move to Dhaka, starting on February 3rd.
BPL 2023: Dhaka beat Barishal to stay alive
Dhaka Dominators beat Fortune Barishal by five wickets in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) on Tuesday in Sylhet.
It was only the third win of Dhaka in the event in 10 matches, that kept their hopes of qualifying to the next round alive. In contrast, it was only the third defeat of Shakib Al Hasan-led Barishal.
Barishal batted first after winning the toss. Anamul Haque was the top scorer for Fortune Barishal, scoring 42 runs off 35 balls with 5 boundaries and 1 six. Saif Hassan provided a steady start to the innings with 15 runs off 19 balls before being dismissed by Amir Hamza.
Skipper Shakib Al Hasan's stay at the crease was short-lived as he was dismissed for just 5 runs. Ibrahim Zadran and Iftikhar Ahmed were dismissed cheaply with just 2 and 10 runs, respectively.
Read more: BPL 2023: Sylhet Strikers overpower Khulna Tigers to ensure playoff berth
Mahmudullah played a crucial role in the middle order scoring 39 runs off 27 balls with 4 boundaries and 2 sixes. Salman Hossain and Karim Janat made 14 and 17 runs respectively before being dismissed. Fortune Barishal finished their innings with a score of 156/8 in 20 overs.
For Dhaka, Amir Hamza bagged two wickets.
Dhaka Dominators started their chase positively with Soumya Sarkar scoring 37 runs off 22 balls with 4 boundaries and 2 sixes. Wicket-keeper Mohammad Mithun was the top scorer for Dhaka Dominators with 54 runs off 36 balls, hitting 6 boundaries and 3 sixes. Abdullah Al Mamun contributed with 26 runs before being dismissed.
Nasir Hossain and Usman Ghani finished the game for Dhaka Dominators scoring 20 and 2 runs respectively. Dhaka Dominators won the game by 5 wickets with 3 balls to spare.
Shakib and Sunzamul Islam took two wickets for Barishal, but they could not stop Dhaka from winning this match.
Chandika returns as Bangladesh cricket team’s head coach
After rounds of drama and speculations, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has confirmed Chandika Hathurusighe as the new head coach of the Bangladesh cricket team.
Chandika, a former Sri Lankan batsman, previously served as the team's coach from 2014 to 2017. He has now signed a two-year contract with the BCB, starting from February 2023.
In his first assignment as the head coach of Bangladesh, Chandika will face the reigning world champions, England, in March in Bangladesh.
BCB President Nazamul Hasan announced on Tuesday that Chandika will be the head coach of Bangladesh for all formats of cricket in his new stint. This marks a departure from the previous stance of the BCB, which had two separate coaches for different formats.
It was previously expected that Sridharan Sriram, a former Indian cricketer, would remain as the coach of Bangladesh for T20Is. However, with the BCB president confirming Chandika as the head coach for all formats, Sriram's future with the Bangladesh team remains unclear.
Chandika expressed his excitement at the opportunity to return to Bangladesh cricket and coach the national team again. He said that he loved the warmth of the people and the culture of Bangladesh during his previous stay.
“It’s an honour to have been given this opportunity to coach the Bangladesh national team once again,” he was quoted in a press release of BCB.
BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury welcomed the new head coach, pointing out that Chandika’s experience with and knowledge of Bangladesh cricket would be a significant advantage for the team.
He added that Chandika’s reputation as a proven tactician was well-deserved, and his previous tenure has produced remarkable results, including ODI series wins against Pakistan, India, and South Africa, a quarterfinal appearance in the 2015 World Cup, and Test victories against England, Australia, and Sri Lanka.
Chandika takes over from South African Russell Domingo as the head coach of the Bangladesh cricket team.
Chandika likely to return as Bangladesh cricket team’s head coach
Bangladesh national men's cricket team may have its head coach position filled soon as Chandika Hathurusingha is set to return. However, an official confirmation is yet to come.
This follows Cricket New South Wales confirming Hathurusingha's departure from his assistant coach role. Recent media speculation has been fueled by reports of an agreement between Chandika and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) following the resignation of Russell Domingo as head coach.
Read more: BPL 2023: Sylhet Strikers overpower Khulna Tigers to ensure playoff berth
Cricket New South Wales on Tuesday confirmed that Chandika left his role as an assistant coach, and the Australian team said that he is “desired to seek a coaching role internationally”.
However, they did not disclose where Chandika may take on a new role.
Nazmul Hasan, the president of the BCB, stated during a recent visit in Sylhet that the board plans to appoint a new coach in February before the home series against England. However, he kept the identity of the next head coach of the Bangladesh national team a secret.
Last month, Domingo resigned as the head coach for both Test and ODI cricket. Sridharan Sriram, a former Indian cricketer, served as a technical consultant for the T20 World Cup last year and has been in discussions with the BCB regarding continuing in that role, which the BCB also hopes to keep.
Read more: Dominators on the brink of elimination after 5-wicket loss to Rangpur Riders
Before his sudden departure following a disappointing South Africa tour in 2017, Chandika served as the head coach of Bangladesh's cricket team starting in 2014. During his tenure, the team started its celebrated winning streak in ODIs at home, including series victories against India, Pakistan, and South Africa.
BPL 2023: Sylhet Strikers overpower Khulna Tigers to ensure playoff berth
Sylhet Strikers ensured the playoff berth as the first team of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2023 with a commanding 31-run win over Khulna Tigers Monday.
This was the Strikers' eighth win in ten matches, a testament to their dominant performance throughout the tournament.
Put in to bat first, the Strikers scored 192-4 in 20 overs. Towhid Hridoy and Zakir Hasan scored 74 and 50 runs, respectively.
Despite a strong effort from the Tigers bowlers, led by Mark Deyal who took two wickets for 40 runs in four overs, the Strikers proved too strong for them.
Chasing 193, the Tigers managed to score 161-9 in 20 overs. Shai Hope and Azam Khan scored 33 runs each.
Read more: BPL 2023: Barishal grab top place beating Chattogram
Veteran pacer Rubel Hossain was the standout performer for the Strikers, taking four wickets for 37 runs in four overs. With this four-for, Rubel completed 100 wickets in BPL. Mohammad Amir and Rejaur Rahman Raja took two wickets each.
The loss marked the sixth defeat for the Tigers in eight matches, putting them in fifth place in the current standings.
Dominators on the brink of elimination after 5-wicket loss to Rangpur Riders
Rangpur Riders extended their winning streak to three games in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) after defeating Dhaka Dominators by five wickets in Sylhet on Monday.
With the loss, the Dominators are now on the brink of being eliminated from the tournament during the league phase.
The Dhaka Dominators suffered their 7th loss in 9 matches played, while the Rangpur Riders secured their 5th victory in 8 matches.
Batting first, Dhaka Dominators posted a total of 144/5 in 20 overs, with Usman Ghani top scoring with an impressive 73 runs not out, including 7 fours and 3 sixes.
Also read: BPL: Sylhet regain top spot beating Chattogram
Skipper Nasir Hossain also contributed with 29 runs before being run out.
For Rangpur, Azmatullah Omarzai was the pick of the bowlers, taking 2 wickets for 27 runs.
Chasing 145, Rangpur Riders got off to a rocky start losing Mohammad Naim for a duck.
However, Mahedi Hasan's blistering 72 runs off just 43 balls, including 6 fours and 5 sixes, put Rangpur back on track. Despite losing two more wickets, Rangpur held their nerves and achieved the target with five wickets in hand and an over to spare, with Mohammad Nawaz and Azmatullah Omarzai finishing not out with 17 and 12 runs, respectively.
Salman Irshad took 2 wickets for Dhaka Dominators.
BPL: Sylhet regain top spot beating Chattogram
The Sylhet Strikers maintained their dominance in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as they secured a decisive victory over the Chattogram Challengers on Saturday, winning by a comfortable margin of seven wickets and reclaiming the top spot in the points table.
Chattogram Challengers batted first and posted a challenging total of 174/6 in their 20 overs. Mehedi Maruf was the top scorer for the team, making 52 runs off 40 balls, with 7 fours and 2 sixes. Shuvagata Hom also contributed a valuable 54 runs off 29 balls, remaining not out.
Read more: BPL 2023: Barishal grab top place beating Chattogram
Sylhet's bowlers, Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir, were the most successful, taking 2 and 1 wicket respectively.
In response, Sylhet Strikers achieved the target of 175 runs in 18 overs, losing only 3 wickets in the process. Najmul Hossain Shanto and Ryan Burl were the top scorers for the team, scoring 60 and 41 runs respectively.
Shanto's innings included 6 fours and 2 sixes, while Ryan Burl hit 4 fours and 3 sixes. Chattogram Challengers' Vijayakanth Viyaskanth took 2 wickets, dismissing Towhid Hridoy and Ryan Burl.
In the end, Sylhet Strikers comfortably won the match by 7 wickets, thanks to some impressive batting performances. The win helped them to secure the top spot on the points table.
After nine matches, Sylhet now have 14 points from seven wins. They will play two more matches in the league phase of the event.
Read more: BPL 2023: Comilla's winning streak continues