BPL 2024: Comilla eye title hat-trick as Bangladesh's big five take centrestage

Can Comilla make it a hat-trick?

Four-time BPL champions Comilla Victorians once again look like overwhelming favourites after claiming the title in 2022 and 2023. Last year's finalists Sylhet Strikers and Rangpur Riders are also among strong contenders this time with strengthened squads while the likes of Chattogram Challengers, Khulna Tigers and Fortune Barishal are also expected to pose a threat. New franchise Durdanto Dhaka will look to put up a challenge.

Comilla base their strength on top overseas players, particularly Andre Russell, Moeen Ali and Sunil Narine who were part of Comilla's previous two title runs. They have added Iftikhar Ahmed from Barishal and Towhid Hridoy from Sylhet, which adds to their middle-order strength. Litton Das and Mohammad Rizwan are top-order gems and can share wicketkeeping duties. They have Rashid Khan on their roster although his participation is subject to fitness. Mustafizur Rahman remains a key part of the attack, with Zaman Khan and Naseem Shah as the overseas bowling firepower.

Shakib Al Hasan is Rangpur's main enforcer, with Babar Azam, Nicholas Pooran, Brandon King and Wanindu Hasaranga among their big names. Azmatullah Omarzai and Matheesha Pathirana are also part of their set-up, while local boys Nurul Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Hasan Mahmud and Rony Talukdar have done well in the recent past.

Mashrafe Mortaza will captain Sylhet, and Najmul Hossain Shanto and Yasir Ali are the big-name batters among the Bangladesh players. Harry Tector, Ben Cutting and Ryan Burl will add to their firepower, while Tanzim Hasan, Richard Ngarava and Nazmul Islam are part of their bowling group. Sylhet will rue missing out on Towhid Hridoy who has now moved to Comilla.

The senior trio of Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah and captain Mushfiqur Rahim will bolster Barishal, who also have Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Paul Stirling and Fakhar Zaman in their squad. With Mohammad Amir and Dunith Wellalage also part of their bowling attack, Barishal can be a tough proposition for the better teams in BPL.

Shai Hope, Dasun Shanaka and Evin Lewis are some of the leading players for Khulna. Faheem Ashraf should be able to do a job as an allrounder until he has to join his PSL franchise in mid-February.

Chattogram have Curtis Campher and Oman's Bilal Khan in their squad, alongside Mohammad Haris, Najibullah Zadran and Stephen Eskinazi as their batting mainstays.

Newcomers Durdanto Dhaka have also opted for a young side. With Mosaddek Hossain as captain, they also have Saim Ayub, Mohammad Naim and Saif Hassan as their top-order batters while Taskin Ahmed and the in-form Shoriful Islam form the core of their bowling unit. Sadeera Samarawickrama is also in their squad, although his availability depends on him getting an NOC from SLC.

BPL has long relied on foreign acquisitions, with overseas players handed important roles in the teams. As a result, the local players are hardly in the spotlight.

Defending champions Comilla have brought in Towhid Hridoy but the presence of Mohammad Rizwan, Johnson Charles and Iftikhar Ahmed makes it harder for the locals to take on central roles. Sylhet and Barishal have a few big Bangladesh names that can take the batting responsibility but teams like Chattogram have only a couple of local batters of future promise.

The tenth edition of the BPL is another occasion for Bangladesh's five superstars - Shakib, Tamim, Mashrafe, Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur - to entertain the home crowds.

Shakib, who will play for Rangpur, remains the kingpin. He is still one of the leading names in the T20 circuit. Tamim has teamed up with Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur at Fortune Barishal. Tamim had earlier said he would wait till January 2024 to decide his future in international cricket. Mahmudullah will be eyeing a T20I comeback after his ODI resurrection in the World Cup last year. Mortaza, who will lead Sylhet Strikers, will be looking to work through his injury struggles.

The BPL loses out on big stars and stature due to the presence of other T20 leagues during the same window. The BPL starts from January 19 and goes on till March 1 but tournaments like the SA20 and ILT20 are also running in parallel. The PSL too has a two-week clash with the BPL. Several Pakistan players are part of the BPL and won't be available during the business end of the competition - the qualifiers and final.