The match is being considered as the season’s first ‘clash of the titans’. Both teams had fought in the final of last BPL where Riders came out on top powered by an explosive knock by Chris Gayle.
Fans, hoping to see another hard-fought match, flocked the venue in droves hours before the game was scheduled to start.
Riders have won two of their first three matches of this season. Dynamites, in contrast, have had a flying start to the tournament, winning both of their matches.
Mashrafe’s side brought no change to their first XI which defeated Comilla Victorians by nine wickets.
However, Dynamites made a change. Pace-bowler Mohor Sheikh Antor has been replaced by Al Islam Alis, a new face in the BPL.
Rangpur Riders (Playing XI): Chris Gayle, Mehedi Maruf, Rilee Rossouw, Mohammad Mithun(w), Ravi Bopara, Benny Howell, Farhad Reza, Mashrafe Mortaza(c), Sohag Gazi, Nazmul Islam, Shafiul Islam
Dhaka Dynamites (Playing XI): Shakib Al Hasan (c), Kieron Pollard, Rubel Hossain, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Shuvagata Hom, Nurul Hasan (wk), Rony Talukdar, Hazratullah Zazai, Mizanur Rahman, Al Islam Alis