As the popular Bangladesh T20 League is drawing to a close, all the franchises are keeping their eye on the top spot of the ladder. In the next match of the league, Cumilla Warriors will square off against the bottom-placed Sylhet Thunder on January 7. The match is scheduled to start at 1 PM in Sher-e-Bangla stadium, Dhaka. This marks the 35th fixture of this season and both the teams have showcased an average performance throughout the tournament. The last time these two teams met, Warriors thrashed the Thunders and emerged victorious in the Super Over.
Cumilla Warriors have secured fifth position at the points table with a total of 4 wins and net run rate (NRR) of +0.213. In this contest, the Warriors consists of all-rounder David Wiese, Upul Tharanga, and Stiaan van Zyl in their batting line-up to beat struggling Sylhet-based franchise. Three key players are away from the match. Dawid Malan has returned home for personal reasons, while Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Dasun Shanaka are away with Sri Lanka.
Afghan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who was adjudged Man of the Match in the previous encounter with the Thunder, can be a saviour for the team. Besides him, Al-Amin Hossain and Soumya Sarkar will be the backbone of the bowling unit.
On the other hand, Sylhet Thunder has been horrendous in the entire season. The team only managed to win one out of its 11 matches they have played so far. Fans expected the team to pick up the momentum, but unfortunately Sylhet’s abysmal campaign continued and the team remined at the last position with only 2 points.
Although Thunders are nowhere in the race to win another encounter, the Caribbean duo of Andre Fletcher and Johnson Charles can play good innings to prevent their reputation from crumbling into ashes. Moreover, wicket-keeper Mohammad Mithun will also be one of the crucial players to watch out, along with the efforts from bowlers Naveen Ul-Haq, Sohag Gazi and Ebadot Hossain.
Pitch Report and Weather Conditions
The pitch at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium is known for its turn and bounce, therefore, the track is well-balanced for both batsmen and pacers. However, the pitch is slow to start, making it difficult to post big targets.
The weather will be absolutely fine for the game with 23 degree Celsius. It will be partly cloudy with no precipitation and 44% of humidity in the atmosphere.
Head to Head
|
Teams |
Total Matches Played |
Matches Won |
Matches Lost |
|
Cumilla Warriors |
9 |
4 |
5 |
|
Sylhet Thunder |
11 |
1 |
10 |
Probable Playing XI
Cumilla Warriors: Upul Tharanga, Stiaan van Zyl, Soumya Sarkar (c), Sabbir Rahman, Yasir Ali, David Wiese, Mahidul Islam Ankon (wk), Abu Hider, Sunzamul Islam, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Al-Amin Hossain
Sylhet Thunder: Andre Fletcher (c), Abdul Mazid, Johnson Charles, Mohammad Mithun (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Nazmul Hossain Milon, Sohag Gazi, Monir Hossain, Krishmar Santokie, Ebadot Hossain, Naveen-ul-Haq
Key Players
Cumilla Warriors
David Wiese
Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Sylhet Thunder
Andre Fletcher
Johnson Charles
