Bangladesh Cricket
BAN vs SL Cricket Test series 2021: Expected personal milestones to achieve
Bangladesh are gearing up for the Test series against Sri Lanka, which is also part of ICC’s Test Championship. The first match will be held from April 21 to 25, and the second Test will begin on April 29. Pallekele Stadium will host both matches. Bangladesh's Test record against Sri Lanka is very poor, so team tigers' main focus would be to improve their Test record against Sri Lanka. Besides, some players will get the opportunity to achieve individual milestones during the series. In this article, we discussed expected personal milestones to achieve in Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Test series 2021.
Expected milestones that can be reached in Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka series
14000 International Runs
Veteran Tamim Iqbal needs 282 runs to complete his 14,000 runs in the international arena. So far, he has scored 13,718 runs playing for Bangladesh, ICC XI, and World XI.
14000 runs for Bangladesh
Tamim Iqbal has scored 13,661 runs in 349 international appearances for Bangladesh. He needs 339 more runs to score 14,000 runs for the tigers across all formats.
Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 2021: Analysis of Bangladesh’s Test Squad for Sri Lanka Series
4000 International Runs
Bangladesh Test captain Mominul Haque has scored 3,665 runs in 76 international appearances. He needs 335 runs to complete 4,000 runs in the international circuit.
3000 International Runs
Wicket-keeper batsman Liton Das needs only 140 runs to complete his 3,000 runs in the international arena. Liton has scored 2,860 runs in 96 international matches.
1000 Test Runs
Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz will complete his 1,000 Test runs if he scores 164 runs in upcoming Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh series.
150 International Wickets
Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam needs 11 more wickets to complete his 150 international wickets for Bangladesh. Taijul has picked 139 wickets in 42 matches.
Read: T20 World Cup 2021: Five Things the Bangladesh Team Needs To Address Before the World T20 2021
50 International Wickets
Right-arm medium pacer Abu Jayed Chowdhury Rahi requires 11 wickets to reach the 50 international wickets milestone. Rahi has bagged 39 wickets in 15 appearances for Bangladesh.
50 International Dismissals
Liton Das only 3 dismissals away to complete his 50 international dismissals for Bangladesh.
50 International Catches
Liton Das only 4 catches away to complete his 50 international catches for Bangladesh.
350 International Appearances
Tamim will become the second player after Mushfiqur Rahim to play 350 matches for Bangladesh when he stepped on the field for the first Test against Sri Lanka.
9000 International Runs
Dinesh Chandimal has scored 8,724 runs in 268 international appearances. He needs 276 runs to complete 9,000 runs in the international circuit.
Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 2021: Five Things Bangladesh Cricket Team Must Do To win the Test Series in Sri Lanka
150 International Appearances
Lankan top-order batsman Kusal Mendis only one match away to complete his 150 appearances for Sri Lanka.
5000 Test Runs
Sri Lankan Test captain Dimurth Karunaratne has scored 4,748 runs in 70 Test appearances. He needs 252 runs to complete 5,000 runs in Tests.
2000 Test Runs
Lahiru Thirimanne has scored 1,863 runs in 40 matches and he only needs 137 runs to reach the 2,000 Test runs milestone.
Read: How European football is badly affected by the pandemic covid-19?
1000 Test Runs
Pacer Suranga Lakmal will complete his 1,000 Test runs if he scores 136 runs in upcoming Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka series.
50 Test Wickets
Slow left-arm orthodox spinner Lasith Embuldeniya is only one wicket shy to complete 50 scalps in Tests. The talented youngster has bagged 49 wickets in just 11 matches for Sri Lanka.
50 Test Wickets
Left-arm pacer Vishwa Fernando has scalped 36 wickets in 12 matches, therefore he needs 14 more wickets to complete 50 Test wickets for Sri Lanka.
Bottom Line
Players will be eager to achieve their personal milestones in Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Test series 2021, but the main focus should be to win the series. The two teams have played a total of 20 Test matches between them. Sri Lanka won 16 games, three were drawn, and Bangladesh only won one game. Bangladesh's only Test victory against Sri Lanka came in 2017. Sri Lanka's current Test setup is not particularly strong. In that perspective, Bangladesh have a fair chance of winning the series against Sri Lanka.
Read: How COVID-19 Pandemic has changed ICC’s cricket schedule
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 2021: Analysis of Bangladesh’s Test Squad for Sri Lanka Series
Bangladesh Test team will play a 2-match series against Sri Lanka starting from April 21. This will be Bangladesh's last series in the ICC Test Championships.So Bangladesh will get another chance to open their account in the Test Championship points table.BCB already announced a 21-man preliminary squad for the contest. As expected Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman will miss the series due to their engagement in the IPL. Shuvagata Hom Chowdhury returned to the Bangladesh squad after a five-year break. Selectors also picked three uncapped players for the squad. Let’s analyze Bangladesh’s Test squad for Sri Lanka series.
Bangladesh’s Preliminary Test Squad for Sri Lanka Series 2021
BCB announced an initial squad on Friday (April 9) and the Bangladesh team will most likely be limited to 15 members just before their departure to Sri Lanka. The selectors have included seven fast bowlers and four spinners in Bangladesh Test Squad.
Left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam, right-arm fast bowlers Shohidul Islam and Mukidul Islam have earned a maiden call up for the national side. While In place of Shakib Al Hasan, selectors included Shuvagata Hom Chowdhury who returned to the Bangladesh squad after five years break. Shuvagata last played for Bangladesh against England back in 2016.
Mominul Haque will be captaining the side. The veteran Mahmudullah Riyad has been ignored once again, but Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim will be available for the series. These two senior cricketers will have to play with more responsibility if Bangladesh is to win the series against Sri Lanka.
Series fixture:
1st Test: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh | Date: 21-25 April | Venue: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
2nd Test: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh | Date: 29 April-03 May| Venue: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
Preliminary Squad:Mominul Haque (Captain), Liton Das, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Shadman Islam, Abu Jayed, Taijul Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto, MehidyHasanMiraz, NayeemHasan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadat Hossain, Saif Hassan, Yasir Ali, Shoriful Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Mukidul Islam, ShuvagataHom, Shohidul Islam, Nurul Hasan
Bangladesh tour of Sri Lanka: Bangladesh squad 2017 vs Bangladesh squad 2021
When comparing the two squads, we see that the 2017 team had a bit more experience than the current one.
Mushfiqur Rahim captained Bangladesh in 2017 and his team managed to draw the Test series after winning the second match by 4 wickets in Colombo.
Also read: Still nothing definite on Sri Lanka tour
For this time, skipper Mominul Haque and team management have to chalk out an ideal game plan in order to win the series against the home side.
In 2017, the top-order batting line-up included Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, and Soumya Sarkar.Among them, Tamim Iqbal was the top scorer with 207 runs to his name. He also played a match-winning 82-run knock in the second Test to level the series 1-1. Tamim’s opening partner Soumya made second-most 195 runs for Bangladesh.
Shadman Islam will take the opening spot in place of Soumya Sarkar, who was not picked for this series.While Mominul will come at no.3 position for the team tigers.
In the middle order, Mohammad Mithun will replace Shakib Al Hasan and wicket-keeper batsman Liton Das will bat at no.6 position.
Considering Sri Lanka's spin-friendly wicket, Bangladesh could deploy three spinners in their playing XI.Because Bangladesh found success in the 2017 series by using three spinners.
Also read: Tigers' SL tour facing postponement over BCB's unreasonable demand
Overall, Bangladesh's 2021 Test squad contains some young promising players and match-winners as well. Therefore, this Bangladeshi team is more than capable of beating Sri Lanka in their own backyard.That being said, we should admit that the 2017 squad was better than this one.
The probable Bangladesh XI for the first Test
Tamim Iqbal, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque (Captain), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Liton Das,MehidyHasanMiraz,NayeemHasan, Taijul Islam,Abu Jayed,Ebadat Hossain
Verdict
Bangladesh's possibility of winning the Test series against Sri Lanka is not guaranteed. However, an analysis of Bangladesh's Test squad for Sri Lanka series reveals that defeating the Lankans is not impossible if they can quickly adapt to the changing environment. Since, like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka aren’t in great form when it comes to Test cricket. Sri Lanka have just won one of their last eleven Test matches. On the other hand, Bangladesh have lost eight out of nine Tests in the last two years. As a result, both teams are under a lot of pressure to perform well in the Test format. In this aspect, the upcoming bilateral series between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will be quite exciting to watch.
Bangladesh preliminary Test squad to fly for Sri Lanka Monday noon
A 21-member Bangladesh preliminary test cricket team will fly for Sri Lanka Monday noon to play a two- match test series against the Island nation.
Earlier, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the 21-member preliminary squad including three new faces.
After reaching Sri Lanka, the Bangladesh team will go to Negombo for a three-day room quarantine from Apr 12-14.
The final squad for the two-match Test series will be announced after the preliminary team reaches Sri Lanka and plays an intra-squad practice game scheduled for April 17-18.
Due to the current Covid-19 situation, Bangladesh team will have to play practice match among themselves and for that reason, the BCB has decided carry all the 21 cricketers to Sri Lanka.
Also read: Still nothing definite on Sri Lanka tour
A large 41- member Bangladesh team including cricketers, coaches, supporting staff, newly appointed Deputy Manager of BCB Cricket Operations and former national opener Shahriar Nafees and other BCB officials will fly for Sri Lanka through a chartered flight of Bangladesh Biman.
The series will begin on April 21 with the first Test, and the second and final Test will start on April 29, both will be played at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.
For the two- match series, BCB included three uncapped pace-bowlers --Shohidul Islam, Shoriful Islam and Mukidul Islam Mugdho-- while old guy Shuvagata Hom made a surprise comeback to the Test set-up after a gap of four years.
“We have decided to take the preliminary squad to Sri Lanka as it would help our preparation and also give exposure to a number of players who are in our thinking for the longer version going forward,” chief selector Minhajul Abedin said in a statement during the time of team announcement.
Also read: Tigers' SL tour facing postponement over BCB's unreasonable demand
“They (pace-bowlers) have been in our HP set up and have impressed in whichever version they have played in. Mukidul and Shohidul in particular, have caught the eye in domestic First-class this season and are future Test prospects. They all have age on their side and are talented,” he added.
In the two rounds of the National Cricket League (NCL), which is currently on hold due to Covid-19 surge, Mukidul bagged 13 wickets with two five-wicket hauls while Shohidul took six wickets. Shoriful missed the NCL’s first two rounds as he has in New Zealand with the national team.
“Shuvagata is coming back after a while but he has been a consistent performer in First-class cricket. We have considered him as a batting all-rounder but his off-break bowling is pretty handy also and gives us an option in the spin department,” he also said about the inclusion of Shuvagata. In NCL, Shuvagata bagged seven wickets and scored 163 runs with a century.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Nurul Hasan Sohan also made a comeback to the Bangladesh Test setup. He played his last Test in 2018 during Bangladesh’s West Indies tour.
The 21-member preliminary Test team of Bangladesh for the Sri Lanka tour:
Mominul Haque (Captain) , Litton Das, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Shadman Islam, Abu Jayed Rahi, Taijul Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Saif Hassan, Yasir Ali, Shoriful Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Mukidul Islam Mugdho, Shuvagata Hom, Shohidul Islam and Nurul Hasan Sohan
Domingo’s role as head coach under scrutiny
Since Russell Domingo took over as head coach of the Bangladesh cricket team, the Tigers have been performing consistently - consistently poorly, that is. Under his coaching, Bangladesh lost a Test to Afghanistan and suffered a clean sweep in a two-match Test series against understrength West Indies as well. Now, his role is finally facing the scrutiny of the board.
The Tigers’ recent assignment was in New Zealand where they crashed to six defeats across two formats and their winless drought in New Zealand across all three reached 32. In this tour, Bangladesh lost every game without offering any sort of resistance. This failure prompted the influential board directors to hold a meeting to discuss Domingo’s future as Bangladesh’s head coach.
BCB parted ways with Steve Rhodes after the World Cup 2019, and right after that, they appointed Domingo as the head coach, though, the South African coach applied to BCB to work with the development group of the cricketers, instead of the national team. But the board had decided to award him the role of the head coach of the national team considering his long-term vision.
Also read: Domingo sees great opportunity to beat New Zealand
His so-called long-term vision was interrupted due to the Covid-19 outbreak throughout the globe last year. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, he coached the Tigers in at least three series but failed to produce a good result.
The board is now set to evaluate his role as the head coach after the home series against Sri Lanka in May this year, said Akram Khan while talking to Cricbuzz recently.
“We are expected to sit for an evaluation meeting after the home series against Sri Lanka,” Akram said. “We’ll discuss everything about our coaches to know where we really stand now. And of course, we’ll discuss Domingo’s role as the head coach.”
Also read: Russell Domingo emphasises playing domestic cricket
After coming back from the disastrous New Zealand tour, Bangladesh will now travel to Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series. They are scheduled to fly to Sri Lanka on April 12.
This series came as an ordeal for Domingo who is currently on leave. He is expected to join the team before the Sri Lanka Tests.
During the Sri Lanka series, the Bangladesh team will be accompanied by Khaled Mahmud, the former captain, as the head of the delegation. It is understood that he will observe closely the way Domingo coaches the team.
Also read: ‘Always good to spread the leadership’: Russell Domingo
Mahmud believes that a coach is responsible to train the players and give them a good plan, and the rest is up to the players. While talking to the reporters in Dhaka, Mahmud said: “The players have to play well. A coach can give you a plan and train you well. I don’t know what happened to the team. I’ll try to find out that in the Sri Lanka tour and take steps accordingly.”
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 2021: Five Things Bangladesh Cricket Team Must Do To win the Test Series in Sri Lanka
The line-up for the ICC Test Championship final has been confirmed. The final match between India and New Zealand will take place at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Southampton from June 18-22. The tournament hasn't fulfilled the expectations as several series were canceled due to the coronavirus epidemic. While, Bangladesh will try to hit the points table with at least one victory in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. In this regard, this is a very important series for Bangladesh. Let's take a look at the five things that the Bangladesh cricket team must do to win the Test series in Sri Lanka.
Five key areas that Bangladesh need to improve in the series against Sri Lanka
The two-match Test series between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will start later this month. The first match will be played at the Pallekele stadium starting from April 21 and the second Test will begin on April 29 at the same venue. In 2017, Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka in their own backyard, so beating the Lankans again won’t be impossible for the tigers.
Captain Mominul must be proactive
Mominul Haque is still new in the captaincy role. Mominul needs to be more mature to get success as Test captain. He should not be hesitant to make any important decision when needed. As a person, MominulHaque is a bit introverted but he needs to be more proactive in order to lead the team. Particularly when fielding, he must inspire the bowlers as well as diversify his decisions. Sometimes the captain's personality may have an effect on the team's performance. That's why the focus should be on activities that inspire the team to perform well. Mominul will be able to solidify his place as captain if he guides Bangladesh to win the Test series against Sri Lanka.
Also read: Still nothing definite on Sri Lanka tour
Making a game plan for each session
Test cricket is a game of patience. It is impossible to succeed in the Test format without displaying perseverance. Since there are 15 sessions in five days, it's important to map out a plan for each one. Even if you play well in two sessions, the whole equation can change in one bad session and the plan can vary depending on the situation. Therefore, each session must be planned sensibly. It is possible to do well in the Test series against Sri Lanka if the strategy is implemented properly. In this case, players' sincerity is very essential, and to ensure that the team management has to take responsibility.
Forming big partnerships for a big score
Bangladeshi batsmen usually lose concentration after hitting a half-century. Cricketers have yet to develop the mentality of playing long innings, which is extremely disappointing. Big partnerships will be vital if Bangladesh want to beat Sri Lanka in their own backyard. Players should not be content with just a hundred. They must concentrate on scoring double or triple hundreds. Especially they should try to score big in the first innings. The opposition team will be under pressure if Bangladesh post 500 in the first innings. Bangladesh have the tendency to get bowled out for a low total in the second innings. They must do something to change the situation. Batsmen must develop their fighting instincts, particularly when under pressure. Then we can expect positive outcomes from Bangladesh.
Also read: Tigers' SL tour facing postponement over BCB's unreasonable demand
Bowlers must be determined to take 20 wickets
A team must be capable of taking 20 wickets to win Tests. Otherwise, winning a Test match would be quite difficult. Though Bangladesh's bowling attack isn't particularly strong, they have enough quality bowlers to bowl Sri Lanka out twice in a Test. Spinners normally have the upper hand on subcontinent pitches. Therefore, Bangladeshi spinners must take most of the responsibility. Taijul Islam and NaeemHasan should bowl more responsibly, particularly in the absence of Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman. Picking up 20 wickets will not be difficult if they understand the nature of the pitches and bowl accordingly.
There should be no fielding errors
Bangladesh's fielders were unimpressive in the recently concluded ODI and T20 series against New Zealand. Bangladesh were denied the chance to win at least one match in New Zealand due to poor fielding. In the Test format, players usually feel a bit tired because they have to field for a long time. Players cannot lose focus on fielding to succeed in Tests. They always have to be proactive on the field. Because one big mistake could cost the match. In that case, senior cricketers, as well as captain, have a big role to play.
Also read: Sri Lanka Tour: National team hits the field after long hiatus
Bottom Line
The Bangladesh cricket team's performance in the Test format over the last two years has been dreadful. Bangladesh have lost eight of the last nine Test matches, with the exception of the lone Test match against Zimbabwe in January 2020. The leadership of the Bangladesh Test team has changed during this time. Mominul Haque is currently captaining the Bangladesh team in the longer version format. BCB needs to develop a proper plan to take the Mominul-led Bangladesh Test team forward. In that case, the first-class cricket structure in the country must be strengthened and more competitive. However, Bangladesh must win the series against Sri Lanka in order to rekindle cricketers' passion for Test cricket. For that, the Bangladesh cricket team must do the five things listed above.
Read Without senior players, what Bangladesh’s ODI Cricket team could look like?
Bangladesh vs New Zealand T20I Series 2021: Report Card of Bangladeshi players
Bangladesh lost the three-match T20I series to New Zealand (3-0) after losing the third match by a massive 65-run margin at Eden Park in Auckland on Thursday (April 1). Three senior players of the team Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, and Mushfiqur Rahim didn't take part in the series for separate reasons. Team tigers had struggled against the Blackcaps because of their absence but the rest of the players should have done better during the contest. There was high hope from the young players but we had seen nothing remarkable from them. Here is the performance report card of Bangladeshi players.
Bangladeshplayers’performance breakdown against New Zealand T20I series 2021
Batting/Top orders
Bangladesh only had one half-century in the series. As per these stats, the batting performance of the Bangladesh team in the contest was disappointing.
Soumya Sarkar
The left-handed batsman Soumya Sarkar scored Bangladesh's only half-century in the series. Hitting 3 sixes, Soumya played a lethal innings of 51 runs from 27 balls in the second match in Napier. But he failed to score big in the rest of the two matches. In three matches, Soumya Sarkar scored 66 runs at a strike rate of 178.37.
Mohammad Naim
Prospective opener Mohammad Naim scored the highest 84 runs with a strike rate of 127.27 for Bangladesh in this series. Naim was unable to prolong his innings despite having a great start in each match. His best 38 runs in the series came in the second match. Soumya and Naim put on an 81-run partnership for the second wicket in that match. Mohammad Naim would need to develop the mindset of playing big innings if he wants to secure his place in the Bangladesh team.
Read Key ODI Records between Bangladesh and New Zealand
Liton Das
Liton Das, who led Bangladesh in the third match, failed with the bat throughout the tour. He only scored 10 runs at a strike rate of 90 in the T20 series. Liton has yet to master the art of batting technique on New Zealand's bouncy wicket despite having played in the international arena for 6-7 years. Liton will have to show more consistency in the future if he wants to prolong his international career.
Najmul Hossain Shanto
Injured Mahmudullah Riyad was replaced by Najmul Hossain Shanto in the third match. But the left-arm batsman could not take advantage, he only scored 8 runs in that match. Nazmul continues to struggle despite getting multiple chances. Someone else will take his place in the national team if he does not demonstrate his talent properly. So, Shanto will have to show more promise if he gets another chance in the national team set up.
Read: Pro Kabaddi Tournament Could Rejuvenate Bangladesh’s National Sport
Batting/Middle-Order
Mahmudullah Riyad
Mahmudullah Riyadh is the only Bangladeshi senior player who took part in the series. Though he could not play the last match due to injury. Like other Bangladeshi batsmen, he also failed miserably in this series. Bangladesh's T20 captain only scored 32 runs in the first two matches. He scored his personal best 21 runs in the second match of the series.
Mohammad Mithun
Mohammad Mithun was completely lackluster in the T20 series despite batting well in the ODI series. Bangladesh team management expected good performance from him. The selectors were frustrated with his performance. Mithun only managed to score 5 runs in two matches.
Read How to Become a Cricketer in Bangladesh: An Overall Guideline
Afif Hossain
The promising young batsman Afif Hossain scored the third-highest 55 runs in the series for Bangladesh. In which, 45 runs from 33 balls came from the first match. Afif had a strike rate of 126.90 in the series. The left-handed Afif Hossain is becoming an important player in Bangladesh's T20 format setup.
Mosaddek Hossain, MahediHasan, and Mohammad Saifuddin
Among other batsmen, Mosaddek Hossain scored 13 runs in one match, Mahadi Hasan 12 runs in three matches, and Mohammad Saifuddin 36 runs in two matches. Saifuddin played an effective innings of 34 runs in the first match.
Read: Bangladesh vs New Zealand 2021: Tamim-led team shows promise in 2nd ODI
Bowling/Pace
Bangladeshi bowlers were unable to stop New Zealand batsmen from scoring runs in all three matches. The bowlers had given up a lot of runs during the series. As a result, Bangladesh had no notable performances in this series.
Taskin Ahmed
In this series, Taskin Ahmed was the most effective Bangladeshi fast bowler. In two matches, he picked up the most two wickets. However, with an economic rate of 12.51, he was the most expensive bowler in the series. If Taskin is to reclaim his place in the Bangladesh team, he must become more productive.
Shoriful Islam
Young left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam snatched two wickets in the series. However, he was less expensive than Taskin. His economy rate in the series was 9.66. Everyone expects Shoriful will be a regular member of the future Bangladesh national side pace attack.
Mohammad Saifuddin
Mohammad Saifuddin has yet to fully regain his rhythm since recovering from his injury. Saifuddin took part in two matches in the T20 series and snatched only 1 wicket. However, with an economy rate of 11.14, he gave up 78 runs in 7 overs.
Mustafizur Rahman and Rubel Hossain
Bangladesh's two best fast bowlers Mustafizur Rahman and Rubel Hossain failed to pick up any wickets in the series. They each played one match. Furthermore, they gave away a lot of runs.
Read Mashrafe Mortaza drops a bombshell over his alleged T20 retirement in 2017
Bowling/Spin
MahediHasan
Spinner MahediHasan was the most successful Bangladeshi bowler in this series. He took the highest 4 wickets in 3 matches. However, the opposition batters picked up a lot of runs from his ball. His bowling economy in this series was 11.60.
Nasum Ahmed
Among the Bangladeshi bowlers, newcomer Nasum Ahmed was the least expensive. He took a total of 2 wickets in 3 matches at a 6.40 economy rate. Nasum was able to grab the attention of the selectors straight away.
Read How Can Bangladesh directly qualify for the world cup 2023?
Fielding
While fielding, Bangladesh had given up too many runs. They dropped catches and showed poor performance on the field.In a nutshell, Bangladeshi players lacked the motivation to put extra effort on the field.
Bottom Line
As per the report card of Bangladeshi players, none of the cricketers had significant improvement in the series. They should have performed better as a team in this contest to boost their confidence for the future. Bangladesh team has a strong chance of performing well in the next T20 world cup in India. As a result, the selectors should focus on building a strong T20 squad for the tournament.
Read Mustafiz's Rajasthan vs Shakib's Kolkata: Which team has the best chance to win the IPL 2021?
Mustafiz's Rajasthan vs Shakib's Kolkata: Which team has the best chance to win the IPL 2021?
The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League will begin on Friday (April 9) and the championship match of this tournament will be held on May 30 at Ahmedabad's Motera Stadium. This year's tournament will feature a total of 8 teams and will be held in six different venues. Last season, no Bangladeshi cricketer participated in the IPL, but this year's edition will feature Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman. Shakib will represent Kolkata Knight Riders, while Mustafizur will play for Rajasthan Royals for the first time. Let's see which team has the best chance to win the IPL 2021?
Rajasthan vs Kolkata: Who has the upper hand in terms of team strength?
It's important to have an understanding of the squad when assessing title contenders. Let's take a look at both squads and examine their overall strength.
Batting
Rajasthan Royals
David Miller, Liam Livingstone, and Jos Butler are the three destructive overseas batsmen for Rajasthan Royals. The only two prominent Indian batsmen in Rajasthan's squad are Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal. They'll have to play with more responsibility since there aren't many alternatives in the Rajasthan squad. On the other side, Kolkata have a slight advantage in terms of batting ability.
Also read; Mustafizur gets BCB nod to play in IPL
Kolkata Knight Riders
In the batting department, Kolkata have England captain Eoin Morgan and New Zealand wicket-keeper Tim Seifert in the foreign quota. These two are very effective batsmen in limited-overs cricket. Besides, Morgan is also one of the best captains in the world right now. Among the Indians, Kolkata have well-known batsmen like Rahul Tripathi, Karan Nair, Nitish Rana, Shubman Gill, and veteran Dinesh Karthik. Overall, the Kolkata squad has some reliable top and middle-order batsmen.
Read How to Become a Cricketer in Bangladesh: An Overall Guideline.
Which team is stronger in batting?
Kolkata Knight Riders
Bowling
Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals are considered to have the worst spin attack in this year's IPL as Mayank Markande and K. C. Cariappa are the only two young spinners for the Royals. They do, however, have a potent pace attack led by Bangladeshi left-arm medium-fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman, Andrew Tye of Australia, Jofra Archer of England, and local lad Jaydev Unadkat. If Cutter Master Mustafiz gets into his rhythm in the tournament, he could be a trump card for Rajasthan. Bangladesh cricket fans are eagerly waiting to see Mustafiz's bowling prowess in the IPL.
Read Bangladesh's five most memorable overseas ODI wins
Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata have formed their pace attack with the inclusion of Australia's Pat Cummins, New Zealand's Lockie Ferguson, and India's Kamlesh Nagarkoti. Considering India's spin-friendly pitches, Kolkata have included four world-class spinners. They are Sunil Narayan, Varun Chakraborty, Kuldeep Yadav, and veteran Harbhajan Singh. Kolkata have arguably the best spin attack in the tournament.
Read Mashrafe Mortaza drops a bombshell over his alleged T20 retirement in 2017
Which team is stronger in bowling?
Kolkata Knight Riders
All-Rounder
Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals includes England's best player Ben Stokes. This marquee all-rounder can become a nightmare to opposition teams. Rajasthan Royals have also included solid performers like Chris Morris, Rahul Tewatia, and Shivam Dube in the squad. Chris Morris is currently one of the best all-rounders in the T20 format. Morris is an all-rounder on par with England's Ben Stokes. Rajasthan will undoubtedly need these two players to perform consistently if they are to progress to the IPL 2021 playoffs.
Read Memorable Match Winning Knocks in Tests
Kolkata Knight Riders
In the all-rounder category, Kolkata Knight Riders have included India's Shivam Mavi, Australia's Ben Cutting, Windies Power Hitter Andre Russell, and world no.1 Shakib Al Hasan. Among them, Andre Russell was Kolkata's best player in the last three seasons. So the Knight Riders will have a lot of expectations from him. On the other hand, Shakib will try to achieve success and showcase his true potential in this year's IPL. Shakib has an amazing ability to shine when the team needs him the most. Kolkata haven't won an IPL trophy after 2014, therefore Shakib and Russell will have to take on a lot more responsibility to reclaim the title for the knight riders.
Which team is stronger in the all-rounder category?
Both teams are equally strong
Read Shakib's 34th Birthday: 34 achievements to celebrate the no.1 all-rounder
Bottom Line
In terms of team strength, the Kolkata Knight Riders are slightly ahead of the Rajasthan Royals. As a result, Shakib Al Hasan's Kolkata are one of the hot favorites to win the 14th edition of the IPL. According to statistics, teams' probabilities of reaching the IPL play-off round increase if they can retain consistency in the middle of the tournament. In that case, Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals would want to finish the league stage in top form. So, by the middle of the tournament, it will be clear which team has the best chance to win the IPL 2021? However, Bangladesh cricket supporters will cheer for both teams.
Read How Can Bangladesh directly qualify for the world cup 2023?
Shadow of uncertainty hangs over domestic cricket season
The pandemic came and marched on; as it lingered for more than a year the chance of domestic cricket taking place last season withered with that.
Many cricketers, who are not part of the national team set-ups, were left helpless as they have no other source of income other than the one they get from playing in the domestic circuit.
Those cricketers found a flicker of hope when the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) decided to host the National Cricket League (NCL) last month. But the light went out as the NCL was put on hold after two rounds in the wake of a recent spike in Covid-19 deaths and cases.
At least five cricketers, who played the first round of the event, tested positive for Covid-19. So, the board has stepped forward to limit the cricketers' movements off the field.
Earlier, the BCB had decided to host the league in only two venues – Cox's Bazar and BKSP – instead of four. But the Cox's Bazar authority limited the movement of people in the area to stop the spread of the virus.
Unable to manage venues, the board decided to halt the league for one week, which created fresh concerns among many cricketers, who have started thinking that the league might not resume.
"The national team players will be able to survive for a year even if they do not get money from the board. They are established cricketers," Anamul Haque Bijoy, the opener who is out of the national team now, told the media on Saturday.
Also read; Hapless Bangladesh still searching for answers in Test cricket
"But those who are out of the national team set-ups or did not play for the national side yet will suffer a lot if there is no domestic cricket. Those are heavily reliant on cricketing activities at the lower tiers of the game – the first division, second division, third division or the academies— will suffer a lot," he added.
There are at least 20 cricketers in every NCL team, and they also have a few members in the support staff. It means, at least 200 players and support staff take part in NCL. So, it is tough to manage a bio-secure bubble for so many people.
New Zealand hit 141 in 3rd T20I vs Bangladesh
New Zealand hit 141 for four in the third T20I against Bangladesh on Thursday at Auckland. The match was reduced to 10-over a side as the first two hours of the match was washed away due to rain.
Liton Das is leading the Tigers in this game in the absence of the regular captain Mahmudullah Riyad who sustained a blow on this shoulder in the second game and ruled of this game.
Also Read: Bangladesh opt to bowl as 3rd T20 reduces to 10-over a side
Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bowl first under the overcast condition.
In the three-over powerplay, New Zealand smashed 43 for none. Nasum Ahmed started bowling conceding nine runs in the first over. In the second over, Taskin Ahmed conceded 14 runs, and Nasum came in the third over and gave away 23 runs with three fours and one six.
Also Read: Liton to lead Tigers in 3rd T20I vs Kiwis
New Zealand continued to smash boundaries as Finn Allen completed his first T20I fifty off 18 balls with eight fours and two sixes.
Finn got dismissed by Taskin in the last over as substitute fielder Mehdiy Hasan Miraz took a tough catch at the boundary in the third man area. Finn ended up on 71 off 29 balls with 10 fours and three sixes.
Bangladesh got the first wicket when Martin Guptil skied off Mahedi Hasan to the deep area and Afif Hossain took an easy catch. Guptil ended up on 44 off 19 balls with five sixes and one four.
Eventually, New Zealand ended up 141 for four with Finn hitting the highest score of 71.
For Bangladesh, Mahedi, Taskin and Shoriful bagged one wicket each while the other wicket fell prey to runout.
Before coming into the T20Is series, the Tigers have lost the three-match ODI series 3-0. Bangladesh played a total of 31 international matches in New Zealand but failed to come up victorious in any of them.
Bangladesh made three changes in this game as Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mosaddek Hossain and Rubel Hossain came in to replace Mahmudullah Riyad, Mohammad Mithun and Mohammad Saifuddin.
NCL: Shuvagata hits 100, Mukidul continues to shine
Dhaka Division all-rounder Shuvagata Hom Wednesday hit a 100 against Sylhet Division on the third day of the second round of the 22nd National Cricket League in Cox's Bazar.
On the same day, Rahatul Ferdous of Sylhet bagged seven wickets against Dhaka and Mukidul Islam of Rangpur registered his second six-wicket haul in the match against Khulna in Rangpur.
NCL 2nd round score after day two
Khulna vs Rangpur
Khulna 1st innings
221/10 in 49.2 overs (Tushar 116, Nurul 31, Nahidul 29; Mukidul 6/64, Nobin 2/31, Ariful 2/54)
Rangpur 1st innings
364/10 in 97.1 overs (Ariful 97, Nasir 66, Dhiman 43, Tanbir 31; Masum 4/78, Robiul 2/41, Abdul Halim 2/88)
Khulna 2nd innings
259/10 in 69.3 overs (Amit 89, Ziaur 64, Imrul 31; Mukidul 6/67, Mahmudul 2/24)
Rangpur 2nd innings
16/0 in 7 overs (Jahid 14*, Nobin 1*)
Also read: NCL: Rajshahi pull off record win
Sylhet vs Dhaka Division
Sylhet 1st innings
370/10 in 114.4 overs (Zakir 159, Jaker 67, Asadullah 67; Shuvagata 4/86, Taibur 2/31, Sumon 2/55)
Dhaka 1st innings
280/10 in 79.1 overs (Shuvagata 114, Saif 42, Joyraj 41, Arafat Sunny 37; Rahatul 7/75, Tanzim 2/63)
Sylhet 2n innings
183/6 in 64.4 overs (Asadullah 74, Zakir 33, Sayem 31; Saif 2/19, Shuvagata 2/39)
Also read: NCL: Tushar, Zakir continue to shine with bat
Barishal vs Rajshahi Division
Barishal 1st innings
82/10 in 29.3 overs (Moin 18, Salman 13, Moinul 12; Sunzamul 4/18, Taijul 4/39, Mohor 2/7)
Rajshahi 1st innings
151/10 in 48.5 overs (Junaid 43, Taijul 37, Tanzid 36; Sohag 6/65, Monir 1/4)
Barishal 2nd innings
60/10 in 34 overs (Moinul 28, Kamrul 14; Sunzamul 6/15, Taijul 4/23)
Result: Rajshahi won by an innings and 9 runs and Taijul won the man of the match award.
Also read: Zakir, Nazmul best performers of NCL 1st round
Chattogram vs Dhaka Metro
Chattogram 1st innings
402/8 (declared) in 126.3 overs (Pinak 159, Shahadat 53, Yasir 49; Arafat Sunny 3/120, Shohidul 2/78, Al Amin 1/26, Abu Haider 1/30)
Dhaka Metro 1st innings
267/10 in 107.2 overs (Zahiduzzaman 71, Shamsur 68, Sharifullah 38, Al Amin 34; Hasan Murad 5/72, Mehedi Hasan Rana 2/74)
Chattogram 2nd innings
43/1 in 17 overs (Mahmudul 20*, Sadikur 19*)