Twenty20
BPL: From “world’s second-best” to “best domestic” league
There was a time when Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials used to claim that the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) was the second-best T20 cricket league in the world. According to them, the BPL was positioned right after the Indian Premier League (IPL). But now, they say, they are working to make the BPL "one of the best leagues" in the country.
The next season of the BPL is slated to be played from early January to mid-February, 2023. BCB has already drafted the names of the owners of the seven participating franchises. If all goes well, the franchises will be finalized soon after the prospective owners pay the bank guarantee of BDT 100 million.
Read: Shakib Al Hasan shines in Caribbean Premier League
At least two other leagues are scheduled to be played at the same time as the BPL. As a result, the BPL may not be able to attract the attention of the best foreign players. Many have already signed contracts with teams in the other two leagues, one of which will be held in the United Arab Emirates and the other in South Africa.
Ismail Haider Mallick, member secretary of the BPL governing council, today said, "BPL was a good T20 event when there were not many leagues like it."
"Now too many leagues are there – CPL is happening, PSL is here, UAE is going to host a league and South Africa is also on the scene. Now, it’s tough to compare (BPL) with other (international) leagues. We want to make it one of the best domestic leagues. "
Read: BPL Governing Council announces names of seven BPL franchises
The first edition of the BPL was played in 2012. Four years after that, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) started the Pakistan Super League (PSL). While BPL is still trying to establish its brand, PSL is generating a lot of money for PCB.
"It costs a lot to host an event like BPL," Ismail added. "To make it bigger, we have to sell the ownership of a franchise for a lot of money. But the reality is, we cannot even host it as a home-and-away event. We don’t have enough venues for it. What we are looking forward to is making it one of our best domestic events. "
Since BPL may fail to attract the attention of foreign players this season, BCB is going to relax conditions. Ismail said a franchise will be able to sign a foreign player at any point of the tournament, and they will also be able to sign a foreign player for any period of time.
Read: Bangladesh champions of ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier 2022
It means if a franchise gets a player for only two matches, they are allowed to sign the player. At the same time, Ismail said, a franchise can play two foreign players in a match instead of four.
BCB has already fixed the remuneration of the players. According to BCB, the local players in the A category will get BDT 8 million, while the players in the lowest category will generate half a million taka.
Every team is allowed to sign one local player directly out of the draft, but there is no limit to signing a foreign player. The BCB will not decide how much money a team will pay to recruit a foreign cricketer outside the draft.
Read: A narrow escape: Bangladesh beat UAE by 7 runs in 1st T20
BPL Governing Council announces names of seven BPL franchises
After detailed evaluation and assessment of the EOI documents submitted by the intending franchise owners, the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20 Governing Council has finalized seven BPL franchises and invited them to complete the process of securing Franchise Ownership Rights for the next three (9th, 10th, and 11th) editions of the tournament.
Read: Bangladesh champions of ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier 2022The next BPL will be held in January-February of 2023, with seven franchisees competing. The selected seven franchises are: Barishal (Fortune Barishal Sports Ltd), Khulna (Mindtree Limited), Dhaka (Progoti Green Auto Rice Mills Ltd), Sylhet (Future Sports Bangladesh Limited) and Rangpur (Toggi Sports-Bashundhara Group). Chattogram (Delta Sports Ltd.) and Cumilla (Cumilla Legends Limited). All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan's Monarch Padma (Morarch Mart Limited) was not selected as a BPL franchise. Besides, two well-known franchises—Beximco (Dhaka) and Gemicon Group (Khulna)—were not interested this time.
Read: A narrow escape: Bangladesh beat UAE by 7 runs in 1st T20
Australia wins 4th Twenty20 match in a row over Sri Lanka
Player of the match Glenn Maxwell scored 48 runs from 39 balls to pace Australia to a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka on Friday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the home team’s fourth consecutive win in the five-match Twenty20 series.
Maxwell brought up the winning runs with a powerful pull shot that raced to the long MCG square boundary to seal the victory with 11 balls remaining.
Josh Inglis chipped in with 40 runs from 20 balls to help Australia reach 143 for four in reply to Sri Lanka’s 139 for eight. Inglis and Maxwell put on a match-winning 71-run stand for the fourth wicket.
After being sent in, opener Pathum Nissanka scored 46 from 40 balls for Sri Lanka. But once Nissanka departed in the 16th over, it started a collapse of 5-9 as Australia took control of the match.
READ: Pakistan head coach backs struggling captain Babar
Kane Richardson (2-44) and returning fast bowler Jhye Richardson (2-20) led the Australian bowlers.
Richardson came in for his first game for Australia since the second test of the Ashes against England in December, with fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood resting before the tour of Pakistan next month.
Australia is using the last two games to tinker with its lineup to prepare for its Twenty20 World Cup home defense in October. The final game of the series is Sunday, also at the MCG.
Australia won the first game against Sri Lanka by 20 runs and the second in a Super Over in Sydney on Sunday after the scores were level at the end of the regulation overs. Australia won the third game by six wickets on Tuesday in Canberra.
Bangladesh Premier League: A Look Back at the Past Winners
The Bangladesh Cricket Board was motivated to launch an annual franchise T20 Cricket League after seeing the success of the IPL. The BCB hosted the first edition of the competition in 2012, which included six franchises. The event was an instant success due to the popularity of the format. BPL has been the most-watched domestic tournament since then. Seven BPL tournaments have been held to date. However, BCB was unable to organize some seasons because of covid-19 and other factors. Let’s take a look at the past winners of the Bangladesh Premier League.
BPL: List of Winners
Dhaka's franchise won the inaugural edition of the Bangladesh Premier League in 2012. Since then, Dhaka have won three BPL championships. Cumilla have won the competition twice, and Rangpur and Rajshahi have each won once.
Read Bangladesh National Men's Cricket Team Schedules for 2022
Winners of each season of the BPL T20 cricket league
Season
Winner
Result
Runner-up
2012
Dhaka Gladiators
8 wickets victory for Dhaka
Barisal Burners
2013
Dhaka Gladiators
43 runs victory for Dhaka
Chittagong Kings
2015
Comilla Victorians
3 wickets victory for Comilla
Barisal Bulls
2016
Dhaka Dynamites
56 runs victory for Dhaka
Rajshahi Kings
2017
Rangpur Riders
57 runs victory for Rangpur
Dhaka Dynamites
2019
Comilla Victorians
17 runs victory for Comilla
Dhaka Dynamites
2020
Rajshahi Royals
21 runs victory for Rajshahi
Khulna Tigers
source: www.espncricinfo.com
BPL 1 (Champion: Dhaka Gladiators)
Dhaka Gladiators won the 2012 BPL after defeating Barisal Burners by 8 wickets in the final. Dhaka qualified for the semifinals after finishing third in the group round with ten points. They won five games and lost an equal amount of games in the league stage. Dhaka advanced to the final after defeating Khulna by 9 runs in the semifinals. On the other hand, Barisal Burners defeated Duronto Rajshahi by 8 wickets in the semifinals to advance to the championship match. In the final, Barisal batted first and scored 140/7 in their allocated 20 overs. Dhaka comfortably chased down the target with 4.2 overs to spare, losing only two wickets. Khulna’s Shakib Al Hasan won the player of the tournament.
Read Five Defining Moments of Bangladesh’s Historic Test Victory Over New Zealand
BPL 2 (Champion: Dhaka Gladiators)
Dhaka Gladiators won the 2013 BPL after beating Chittagong Kings by 43 runs in the final. Dhaka qualified for the playoffs by finishing first in the group stage with 18 points. Dhaka proceeded to the final after beating Sylhet by 4 runs in the first qualifier. They faced Chittagong Kings in the final, who defeated Sylhet Royals by 3 wickets in the second qualifier. Dhaka batted first in the final and scored 172/9 in their allotted 20 overs. In the chase, Chittagong were dismissed for 129 runs in 16.5 overs. Shakib Al Hasan of Dhaka was named player of the tournament.
BPL 3 (Champion: Comilla Victorians)
Comilla Victorians won the 2015 BPL after defeating Barisal Bulls by 3 wickets in the final. Comilla earned a spot in the playoffs by finishing first in the group stage. Comilla advanced to the final after defeating Rangpur by 72 runs in the first qualifier. They met Barisal Bulls In the final, who beat Rangpur Riders by 5 wickets in the second qualifier. In the final, Barisal batted first and scored 156/4 in their allocated 20 overs. Comilla reached the target in exactly 20 overs, losing 7 wickets. Comilla's Ashar Zaidi was awarded player of the tournament.
Read BPL 2022: The Favourites, Outsiders and Underdogs
BPL 4 (Champion: Dhaka Dynamites)
Dhaka Dynamites won the BPL 2016 after defeating Rajshahi Kings by 56 runs in the final. Dhaka qualified for the final by defeating Khulna by 54 runs in the first qualifier. In the second qualifier, Rajshahi Kings defeated Khulna Titans by 7 wickets to advance to the final. Dhaka batted first in the final and scored 159/9 in their allotted 20 overs. Rajshahi were all-out for 103 in the replay, and Dhaka won the championship match. Mahmudullah Riyad of Khulna was named Player of the Series.
BPL 5 (Champion: Rangpur Riders)
Rangpur Riders won the BPL for the first time in 2017 after defeating Dhaka Dynamites in the final by 57 runs. Rangpur advanced to the final after winning the playoffs against Khulna and Comilla respectively. On the other hand, Dhaka beat Comilla by 95 runs to reach the final. Rangpur batted first in the final and made 206/1 in their allocated 20 overs. In reply, Dhaka scored 149/9 in 20 overs and lost the match. Rangpur Riders' Chris Gayle was awarded Player of the Series.
Read BPL 2022: Five Promising Young Players to Watch
BPL 6 (Champion: Comilla Victorians)
Comilla Victorians earned their second BPL title in 2019 after overcoming Dhaka Dynamites by 17 runs in the final. In the first qualifier, Comilla defeated Rangpur by 8 wickets to go to the final. Dhaka advanced to the final by defeating Rangpur by 5 wickets in the second qualifier. In the final, Comilla batted first and scored 199/3 in their allocated 20 overs. Dhaka lost the title match after scoring 182/9 in 20 overs. The Player of the Series was Dhaka's Shakib Al Hasan.
BPL 7 (Champion: Rajshahi Royals)
The reigning champions Rajshahi won their first-ever BPL title in 2020 by defeating Khulna Tigers by 21 runs in the final. Rajshahi defeated Chattogram in the second qualifier to advance to the final. On the other hand, Khulna progressed to the final after defeating Rajshahi in the first qualifier, although they were defeated by them in the championship match. Rajshahi won their first title after scoring 170/4 and restricting Khulna to 149/8 in the BPL7 final. The Player of the Series award went to Rajshahi Royals' captain Andre Russell.
Read ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2022: SWOT Analysis of Bangladesh Team
Bottom Line
According to statistics, Dhaka's franchise is the most successful in the Bangladesh Premier League. They are also one of the league's most consistent teams. However, Dhaka haven't won the tournament in the past three seasons, therefore they will try to win the competition in the next BPL 2021. Besides, Chattogram, Barisal, Khulna, and Sylhet have yet to win the competition. They will also be hoping to win the competition in the upcoming BPL season.
ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh vs. Australia Match Preview
Bangladesh will play Australia in their last ICC T20 World Cup 2021 encounter on Thursday (November 4). The match will begin at 4 p.m. in Dubai. This match is crucial for Australia's chances of making the semifinals. If Australia win the match, they will be in a good position to advance to the knockout stage. On the other hand, Bangladesh have nothing to play for after losing to South Africa on Tuesday (November 2). However, will Bangladesh be able to make a strong finish to the tournament?
Also read: T20 World Cup: disastrous batting compounds Bangladesh miseries
Notable Bangladesh-Australia T20I Records
Bangladesh recently defeated Australia in a bilateral T20I series at home. Therefore, Bangladesh's twenty20 format record against Australia has improved. Take a look at some of the noteworthy T20I records between these two national teams.
Bangladesh vs. Australia: Noteworthy T20I Record
Bangladesh
Australia
Matches Played (9)
4
5
Most Runs
Shakib Al Hasan (257 runs in 9 innings)
Mitchell Marsh (162 runs in 6 innings)
Highest Score
Shakib Al Hasan (66)
Mathew Hayden (73*)
Most Fifties
Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah Riyad (1)
Mathew Hayden, Usman Khawaja, Aaron Finch, Mitchell Marsh (1)
Most Wickets
Shakib Al Hasan (12)
Josh Hazlewood (8)
Best Bowling Figures
Shakib Al Hasan (4/9)
Dirk Nannes (4/18)
Most Matches
Shakib Al Hasan (9)
Mitchell Marsh (6)
Highest Partnership
Shakib Al Hasan & Mushfiqur Rahim (112)
Adam Gilchrist & Mathew Hayden (104)
Most Catches
Mahmudullah Riyad (5)
Ashton Agar (5)
Most Dismissals
Nurul Hasan (4)
Mathew Wade (4)
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Also read: T20 World Cup: Bangladesh bat first vs South Africa
Bangladesh
Bangladesh have nothing to lose in this match, therefore the players won't be under any pressure. Captain Mahmudullah has one last chance to show his leadership potential in a neutral venue. Bangladesh's recent record against Australia will surely restore faith in the players despite the fact that the conditions and surface are both different from Mirpur's sluggish pitch.
Some of Australia's A-list players were also unable to partake in the series. But a full-strength Australian national team will face a wounded Bangladesh side on Thursday. Bangladesh can win the contest if the players are determined to display their true ability. Even if Bangladesh win this match, they will not be able to advance to the semifinals. Bangladesh would be able to finish the tournament on a high note if they win.
Read T20 World Cup: Tigers in desperate search for consolation win
The team management may decide to include him in the lineup given Nasum Ahmed's success against Australian batters in the recent bilateral series.
Probable Playing XI
Mohammad Naim, Liton Das (wicket-keeper), Afif Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad (captain), Soumya Sarkar, Shamim Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam
Australia
Australia must win this match to remain in contention for a semifinal place. Australia are in third place with four points, just two points behind second-placed South Africa. Their main goal would be to win this match by a big margin because South Africa and England both have better run rates than Australia. Their net run rates will improve with a huge win. In this context, Australia will come out with a lot of aggression against Bangladesh. Therefore, the Bangladesh team must be even more prepared to face the Aussie side.
Read T20 World Cup: Tigers in desperate search for consolation win
Probable Playing XI
Aaron Finch (c), David Warner, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wicket-keeper), Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
Verdict
Bangladesh have only won two matches in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Sadly, the two victories came in the qualifying phase against weaker opponents. In that perspective, the Tigers ' performance in this tournament has been a complete failure. They may finish the tournament in a positive way by winning their last match against Australia. Bangladesh's recent home series victory against Australia would boost the players' confidence. However, Australia are more in desperate need of a win than Bangladesh. Therefore, the team Tigers will face another tough challenge in this tournament.
Read ICC Ranking Update: Nabi catches up Shakib
Can Bangladesh improve ranking before T20 World Cup 2021 Super 12’s ending?
Bangladesh are ranked eighth in the ICC T20I rankings as of October 26. Team Tigers might improve their current position if they win the remaining Super 12 matches in the T20 World Cup 2021. Bangladesh will face South Africa on Tuesday (November 2) and Australia on Thursday (November 4) before coming back home. However, Tigers will have to rely on some of the other Super 12 round fixtures in order to climb up the ICC rankings. Let's look at how Bangladesh can better its ranking in the T20 format.
Probable Ranking Scenarios at the end of Super 12 of T20 World Cup 2021
England are now ranked top in the ICC T20 team rankings according to the latest update on October 26. Both Asian powers, India and Pakistan are placed second and third. South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia are ranked fourth, fifth, and sixth. Meanwhile, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies are positioned seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth, respectively.
Bangladesh's prospects of rising in the rankings
Read: Please buy T20 World Cup tickets, pleads Afghanistan captain
First and foremost Bangladesh have to do their part to improve its ranking. They must defeat South Africa and Australia in order to boost their rating to 240. Bangladesh will almost certainly move up to sixth place if Australia lose to the West Indies in Group 1 and Afghanistan lose to India and New Zealand in Group 2. Despite Sri Lanka's strong performance in the current T20 World Cup 2021, their results will have no impact on Bangladesh's ranking improvement.
On the other hand, the team tigers will have 234 rating points if they lose both of their remaining matches. Depending on the outcome of the other matches, they may stay in their current position. Both Sri Lanka and the West Indies have a chance to pass Bangladesh for the eighth and ninth places, respectively.
Read T20 WC: Sri Lanka’s Hasaranga hits hat-trick against South Africa
The scenario of other top teams in terms of rankings
World no.1 England's position in the ICC T20 team rankings will not change even if they lose all of their remaining Super 12 matches. On the other hand, India will drop to third place if they lose one of their last four matches in this round. Whereas Pakistan would move up to second place if they finish the round unbeaten.
New Zealand are in a safe position with better rating points. If India have a bad run in the Super 12, New Zealand will stay in fourth place or possibly climb to third.
Read: Shakib, Sohan uncertain for SA clash
South Africa will remain in fifth place even if they lose their matches against Bangladesh and England. However, if Australia lose both of its remaining matches against Bangladesh and the West Indies, they are at risk of falling to seventh place.
Afghanistan will move up to sixth place if they win two of their remaining three Super 12 matches. On the other side, Sri Lanka and the West Indies may each improve one spot in the ICC Twenty20 team rankings depending on the outcomes of the remaining super 12 round matches.
Verdict
Bangladesh's primary objective would be to win their remaining T20 World Cup 2021 matches in order to reclaim some pride. If they win those games, the Tigers have a chance to improve their team ranking. Bangladesh would move up the standings if Sri Lanka and Afghanistan lose one of their remaining games in the Super 12 round. As the race for a semifinal berth heats up, no team will take any of their remaining fixtures lightly.
Read England gives old rival Australia 8-wicket thrashing at WCup
BAN v WI: Bangladesh Show How to Lose a Winnable Match in T20 World Cup 2021
Prior to their Super 12 match, both Bangladesh and West Indies were in danger of being ousted from contention for a semi-final position in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2021 on Friday (October 29). The West Indian team eventually won the match in Sharjah, defeating Bangladesh by 3 runs. The West Indies are still in contention for a top-two finish in the group, whereas Bangladesh will definitely finish outside the top two after losing this match.
The Way Bangladesh Loss against the Windies
Bangladesh showed how to lose a game while being in a solid position against the West Indies. They seemed almost certain to beat the Caribbean side in a Super 12 Round match. However, Bangladesh were unable to reach the winning target of 143 set by the Windies team.
Bangladesh required 30 runs from the final three overs. At the time, they had two set batsmen, Mahmudullah Riyad and Liton Das at the crease. The momentum was in Bangladesh's favor. However, both batters were unable to conquer the Windies bowlers and then were surrendered their wickets.
Read Asif's 4 sixes in 1 over seals Pakistan win over Afghanistan
DJ Bravo bowled a massive six to Mahmudullah in the first delivery of the 19th over, reducing the target to 16 from 11 balls. Bangladesh were required to play intelligent cricket at that point. However, the pressure in the run chase mounted as both batters failed to produce big shots. Bangladesh scored only three runs in the following five balls and lost Liton Das in the final delivery.
Bangladesh needed 13 runs from the final over to win the game. Two of the best hitters of Bangladesh, Mahmudullah Riyad and Afif Hossain were at the crease. Bangladesh were expected to win. However, they only managed to score 9 runs in the 20th over. Andre Russell deserves credit for bowling superbly and stopping batters from freeing their arms.
Earlier, West Indies scored 142/7 in their allocated 20 overs. Player of the match-winner, Nicholas Pooran played a decisive 40 off 22 balls in the death overs. Mahedi, Mustafizur, and Shoriful each bagged two wickets for Bangladesh.
Read Tigers make a habit of defeat, become first team eliminated from T20WC
Bangladesh had complete control of the contest during the run chase. However, they were unable to reach the target thanks to some outstanding death overs bowling by the Windies bowlers. Liton Das (44) was Bangladesh's top scorer.
The Scenario of Group 1 Points Table
The Windies now have a slim chance of progressing to the knockout stage with a victory over Bangladesh. However, they will have to rely on the outcomes of South Africa's, Australia's, England's, and Sri Lanka's remaining Super 12 Round fixtures. West Indies will have a big edge if Bangladesh win their final two matches against South Africa and Australia. Aside from that, the Caribbean team must win big in their next two games to improve their net run rates.
Read T20 World Cup: Despite early wickets W Indies post 142 vs Bangladesh
Overall, England and Australia are still the favorites to advance to the semifinals from group 1, and they are in good shape right now. South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies will give it their all till the end, but they are unlikely to go to the next round.
Group 1 points table (as of October 29)
Teams
Match
Win
Lose
Points
NRR
England
2
2
0
4
3.614
Australia
2
2
0
4
0.727
South Africa
2
1
1
2
0.179
Sri Lanka
2
1
1
2
-0.416
West Indies
3
1
2
2
-1.598
Bangladesh
3
0
3
0
-1.069
https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Bottom Line
Bangladesh became the first team in the Super 12 Round to tumble out of a quest for a semifinal berth after losing to West Indies. Bangladesh are yet to win a match in this round, and they still have two games left in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Bangladesh are unlikely to win any of their remaining matches given their current form.
Read T20 World Cup: Bangladesh take early wickets to dominate West Indies
The BCB must think deeply about the growth of T20 cricket. Otherwise, Bangladesh's performance in Twenty20 cricket would decline even further, since associate members of the International Cricket Council have made substantial progress in this format.
ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Group Stage Scenario of Super 12 Round
The Super 12 Round of the seventh edition of the Twenty20 World Cup started on October 23. The remaining matches of the tournament will be held in the UAE. Twelve teams are battling for a spot in the semifinals. There appears to be a lot of competition in group 1. On the contrary, Pakistan's position in the semifinals is all but assured from group 2. Let’s find out which teams from each group have a stronger chance of making the semi-finals of ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
The favorites in each group to advance to the semifinals
Group 1
The group 1 teams are Bangladesh, Australia, England, West Indies, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. Let’s take a look at the positions of each team in group 1.
Group 1 Standings (as of October 27)
Teams
Match
Win
Lose
Points
NRR
England
2
2
0
4
3.614
Sri Lanka
1
1
0
2
0.583
Australia
1
1
0
2
0.253
South Africa
2
1
1
2
0.179
Bangladesh
2
0
2
0
-1.655
West Indies
2
0
2
0
-2.550
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read ICC T20 World Cup 2021: High-Voltage Match between India and Pakistan
England
One of the favorites, England are currently in the first position in Group 1 with two wins in two games. They have three more matches to play in the Super 12 round. If England win at least one of their remaining matches, they will qualify for the semifinals.
Verdict: 1st place
Remaining Fixtures: Australia (October 30); Sri Lanka (November 1); South Africa (November 6)
Read T20 World Cup 2021: Afghanistan Win Big against Scotland as Mujeeb takes fifer
Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan team is full of confidence after four consecutive victories in the tournament. However, they must win two or more of their remaining games to qualify for the semifinals, which will be very tough for them.
Verdict: Third place
Remaining Fixtures: Australia (October 28); South Africa (October 30); England (November 1), West Indies (November 4)
Read BAN vs. ENG: Bangladesh's Three Spectacular Victories Over England
Australia
Australia got off to a strong start by defeating South Africa. This Australian team isn't the best in the world, but they have enough talent to progress to the semifinals.
Verdict: second place
Remaining Fixtures: Sri Lanka (October 28); England (October 30); Bangladesh (November 4), West Indies (November 6)
South Africa
After losing the first match against Australia, the proteas national team made a fantastic comeback in their second game against West Indies. However, finishing in the top two in the points standings will be extremely difficult for South Africa.
Verdict: fourth place
Remaining Fixtures: Sri Lanka (October 30); Bangladesh (November 2); England (November 6)
Read ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Major Takeaways from Bangladesh's Loss to Scotland
Bangladesh
After losing two straight matches in the super 12 round, Bangladesh's biggest achievement in this round will be to win a match. Therefore, the most important aim will be to defeat the West Indian team.
Verdict: Sixth place
Remaining Fixtures: West Indies (October 29); South Africa (November 2); Australia (November 4)
West Indies
The two-time World Cup winner West Indies are struggling to find their rhythm as a team in this tournament. They have lost their first two games against England and South Africa, respectively. The Windies have a slim chance of making it to the last four.
Verdict: Fifth place
Remaining Fixtures: Bangladesh (October 29); Sri Lanka (November 4); Australia (November 6)
Read ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Shakib Al Hasan Reaches Three Unique Milestones
Group 2
The group 2 teams are India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, New Zealand, Namibia, and Scotland. Let’s take a look at the positions of each team in group 2.
Group 2 Standings (as of October 27)
Teams
Match
Win
Lose
Points
NRR
Pakistan
2
2
0
4
0.738
Afghanistan
1
1
0
2
6.500
Namibia
1
1
0
2
0.550
New Zealand
1
0
1
0
-0.532
India
1
0
1
0
-0.973
Scotland
2
0
2
0
-3.562
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Pakistan
Pakistan shocked everyone after a thrashing of India in their T20 World Cup opener on October 24. They also snatched a stunning win over New Zealand, putting them in a strong position to advance to the semifinals. Pakistan need a win to secure a place in the semifinals, and their upcoming fixtures will be against weaker opponents.
Verdict: 1st place
Remaining Fixtures: Afghanistan (October 29); Namibia (November 2); Scotland (November 7)
Read T20 World Cup 2021: Five Bangladesh players to watch out for in the tournament
Afghanistan
Afghanistan's ICC T20 World Cup 2021 campaign began with a resounding 130-run victory over Scotland. This Afghan team has some excellent players and can upset any team in the world on their day. However, with India and New Zealand having superior squads than them, securing a spot in the semifinals will be really hard.
Verdict: Fourth Place
Remaining Fixtures: Pakistan (October 29); Namibia (October 31); India (November 3), New Zealand (November 7)
Namibia
Namibia defeated Scotland in their Super 12 round opener. Their biggest success in this round will be finishing ahead of Scotland in the points standings.
Verdict: Fifth place
Remaining Fixtures: Afghanistan (October 31); Pakistan (November 2); New Zealand (November 5), India (November 8)
Read Toppers List at the end of the IPL 2021
New Zealand
New Zealand must defeat India in order to advance to the semifinals after losing their Super 12 opener against Pakistan. Therefore, the match between India and New Zealand could be the most appealing.
Verdict: Third place
Remaining Fixtures: India (October 31); Scotland (November 3); Namibia (November 5); Afghanistan (November 7)
India
India are under pressure after losing their first match against arch-rival Pakistan. However, India have a very strong squad, and they will undoubtedly come back in their next match against New Zealand. India are still hot favorites to advance to the semifinals from this group.
Verdict: Second place
Remaining Fixtures: New Zealand (October 31); Afghanistan (November 3); Scotland (November 5); Namibia (November 8)
Read T20 World Cup 2021: SWOT Analysis of Bangladesh Team
Scotland
The Scottish team played well in the qualifying round. They won all of their fixtures to finish first in group B in the qualifiers. Scotland had high hopes of beating Namibia and Afghanistan in the Super 12 round. However, they lost both matches and are likely to finish bottom in Group 2 points table.
Verdict: Sixth place
Remaining Fixtures: New Zealand (November 3); India (November 5); Pakistan (November 7)
Verdict
After breaking down each team's current standings, it is evident that England and Australia have a higher chance of progressing to the semifinals from Group 1. Sri Lanka and South Africa will fight tooth and nail for a spot in the knockout round. On the other hand, Pakistan are in a commanding position of Group 2 and will most likely finish first in the standings. India, New Zealand, and Afghanistan all have a fair chance to proceed to the last four from this group. Hopefully, the deserving teams will advance to the semifinals of ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
Read ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Potential milestones to achieve by Bangladeshi players
ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Shakib Al Hasan on his way to reach another milestone
The Bangladesh cricket team lost a vital Super 12 match against Sri Lanka On Sunday (October 24). The star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was brilliant with the ball once again. He became the highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cup history after taking two wickets in three overs against the Lankan side. Earlier in the tournament, the ace all-rounder set a new record for most T20I wickets. Shakib has been in fantastic form with the ball and has a chance to attain yet another milestone before Bangladesh's ICC T20 World Cup 2021 fixtures are completed.
Shakib's potential feat in the remaining ICC T20 World Cup 2021
Shakib Al Hasan has set several records in his nearly two-decade cricket career. His unwavering commitment and desire to be the best have gained him widespread acclaim. Shakib's on-field performance has also aided Bangladesh in progressing to the next level.
Shakib Al Hasan smashed two international records by taking 11 wickets in just four matches in the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup 2021. He also became the first player to achieve 12,000 international runs and take 600 or more international wickets.
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Bangladesh have four matches left in the present T20 World Cup. Shakib may achieve yet another new milestone in the forthcoming BAN vs. ENG encounter. If not, he will very certainly do that in the World Cup's remaining matches.
The world's best all-rounder is two wickets away from being the fourth player in history and the first Bangladeshi to take 400 wickets in Twenty20 format.
Shakib Al Hasan has 398 Twenty20 wickets at an incredible average of 21.07 from 349 appearances. West Indian all-rounder DJ Bravo has the most T20 wickets. He has collected 551 wickets in 508 games.
Read T20 World Cup : Three Things Bangladesh Must Address Before England Match
Top Five Wicket-Takers in the T20 Format
Two West Indian players have claimed 400+ wickets in the T20 format. Only DJ Bravo has taken more than 500 wickets among them. Imran Tahir of South Africa, Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh, and Rashid Khan of Afghanistan are the other three wicket-takers in the top five.
Highest wicket-takers in Twenty20
Player
Matches
Wkts
BBI
Ave
Econ
5W
DJ Bravo (WI)
508
551
5/23
24.25
8.20
2
Sunil Narine (WI)
383
425
5/19
20.72
6.04
1
Imran Tahir (SA)
334
420
5/23
19.79
6.96
3
Shakib Al Hasan (BAN)
349
398
6/6
21.07
6.82
4
Rashid Khan (AFG)
284
392
5/3
17.62
6.35
3
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
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Bottom Line
Shakib Al Hasan will have to show his full potential in the upcoming matches if Bangladesh are to advance to the semifinals of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Bangladesh's next encounter will be against one of the early favorites England. If Shakib fires up, the Tigers have a good chance to stun the English team. Furthermore, the left-arm spinner will be able to reach another personal milestone in this match.
Shakib Al Hasan is the poster boy of Bangladesh cricket. If Shakib can keep consistent in this manner over the next 3 to 4 years, he would be able to reach unprecedented heights. Therefore, breaking his records will be tough for other cricketers.
Read Pakistan beat India by 10 wkts, for maiden WC win against archrivals
ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Major Takeaways from Bangladesh's Loss to Scotland
The ICC T20 World Cup 2021 Super 12 Round will begin on October 23rd (Saturday). Qualifier teams must finish first or second in their respective groups to advance to the Super 12s. Bangladesh lost their opening encounter against Scotland, jeopardizing their chances of finishing first in the group. Bangladesh must win their remaining two matches against Oman and Papua New Guinea to finish second in the group. However, they will need to craft a smart plan for playing those matches. The major points from Bangladesh's loss to Scotland are addressed in this article.
Bangladesh's Defeat to Scotland: Key Takeaways
Bangladesh restricted Scotland to 140/9 in the allocated 20 overs after opting to bowl first. Bangladesh ended their innings with a total of 134/7, losing the match by 6 runs.
Bowling
Spinners will be key on this surface
Unlike in the recent home series, Captain Mahmudullah Riyad gave the ball to pacers to bowl the power play overs. The pacer trio fared well, limiting Scotland to 39 runs and picking up a wicket. However, Bangladesh could have picked even more wickets if Mahmudullah had chosen to begin the innings with two spinners. When the spinners came into play, the surface appeared to be a little more conducive to the slower bowlers.
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Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan and Mahedi Hasan bowled three overs apiece, stretching from seven to twelve overs, and each took two wickets. Scotland's batters struggled to negotiate both of them, and they were 55/6 at the end of 12 overs. Bangladesh were in a strong position at the time. However, Mark Watt and Chris Greaves put up a counter-attacking 51-run stand for the seventh wicket to change the scenario in Scotland's favor.
Key Point: Bangladesh should stick to its core strength and use more spinners in the upcoming matches.
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Effective pace bowlers should use in the death overs
Taskin Ahmed, Mohammad Saifuddin, and Mustafizur Rahman bowled Bangladesh's final four overs. They gave up a lot of runs and assisted Scotland in putting up a challenging score to defend.
Scotland were 96/6 after 16 overs but scored 44 runs in the next four overs. Bangladesh's quickest bowler, Taskin Ahmed went for 15 runs in the 18th over. He assisted Scotland in gaining momentum. Overall, Taskin yielded 28 runs in three overs, Mustafizur 32 runs in four overs, and Saifuddin 30 runs in four overs.
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Bangladesh's fast bowlers showed that they were not well equipped for these types of surfaces, particularly in the final overs. They needed a better understanding as well as the necessary knowledge to succeed on these kinds of wickets. On a flat track, Taskin Ahmed could be costly, and skipper Riyad should avoid him in the final few overs.
Key Point: Spinners may be a viable choice for Mahmudullah to bowl the death overs. Pacers must bowl with pinpoint accuracy in order to bowl in the block-hole.
Read Bangladesh to take on Oman in crucial clash Tuesday
Batting
Bangladesh need an anchor batter to bat through the innings
There was some concern before the tournament about who would play the anchor role in the absence of Tamim Iqbal. This topic has come up again after the dismal loss to Scotland.
Both Bangladesh openers were dismissed within four overs, putting immense pressure on the middle order to maintain the run rates. One of the openers should have performed as the anchor for Bangladesh, carrying the innings to the end. Because this could relieve the pressure from the following batters.
Key Point: Liton Das can be an excellent choice to play the anchor role as he is more sensible than the others.
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Experienced players must rediscover their best form
Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim batted in the middle for a while and put on a 47-run stand for the third wicket. However, they were both far from their best and need to improve in the coming matches. Otherwise, Bangladesh would be in much more difficulties at crucial moments.
Key Point: The form of Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan will be crucial for Bangladesh.
Late Middle orders must learn how to finish the game
Mahmudullah Riyad, Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, and Mohammad Saifuddin batted in the match. They tried some big shots but were unable to complete the task. Most of the players were caught in the boundary line. Afif Hossain was in excellent form and he needed to be moved up the batting order.
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Key Point: Big hitters must develop the ability to finish games.
Way Forward
After analyzing the key reasons behind Bangladesh's defeat to Scotland, it's apparent that the batters struggled in this match. Bowlers also gave up a lot of runs in the death overs. The team management must address those issues in order to play well in the remaining two qualifying matches of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Bangladesh will face Oman at the same venue on Tuesday (October 19). This will, without a doubt, be a do-or-die contest for team Tigers.
Read ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Major Takeaways from Bangladesh's Loss to Scotland