Khulna Tigers batters (X.com)
Comilla Victorians take on the Khulna Tigers in Match 23 of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2024 on Wednesday (February 7) as the race to bag the playoffs spots continues to intensify in Bangladesh's premier domestic T20 competition.
While the Tigers are placed comfortably at the second spot in the seven-team points standings following four wins in five matches, the Victorians need to close the gap with them after slipping to the fourth slot after three wins and two defeats.
COV vs KHT: Team Previews
Comilla Victorians
The Victorians brought themselves back in contention with a tremendous allround display and victory against the Chattogram Challengers in their last match. Bundling out the opposition for just 72, they won the game with more than 10 overs to spare and seven wickets still intact.
Left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam ran riot against the Challengers by bagging four scalps for just 13 runs during his quota. Islam was ably supported at the task by off-spinner Aliss Islam, who complimented him brilliantly with figures of 2 for 14.
There wasn't much to do on the batting front against the Challengers but the Victorians would be hoping it's an area they improve upon as they head deeper into the campaign. Only two of their batters have crossed 100-run mark for the competition, with only Towhid Hridoy, who made 31* off 13 balls last match, looking in decent form.
Khulna Tigers
The Tigers head to the Dhaka on the back of their first loss of the season after being upstaged by Fortune Barishal in Sylhet. Only Parvez Hossain Emon (33) and Mohammad Nawaz (38) looked in any sort of rhythm and flow at the crease last game as the Khulna franchise fell to just 155/8 in their 20 overs.
With the ball, Pakistan allrounder Faheem Ashraf (3/18) and his three-fer along with tight spells by Nasum Ahmed (1/24) and Nahidul Islam (1/30) did keep things tight, but lack of a substantial score on the board eventually came back to haunt the Tigers.
While wins haven't deserted them, Tigers would recognise to regain the momentum they need to come up with more inspiring all-round performances as a unit.
COV vs KHT: Match Details & Live Streaming
| Match Details | |
|---|---|
| Date | February 7, 2024 |
| Venue | Shere Bangla Stadium, Dhaka |
| Timings | 1:00 PM IST |
| Broadcast & Live Streaming | Fancode App |
COV vs KHT: Dhaka Pitch Report
Renowned for its spin-friendly traits, the track in Dhaka is expected to play true to its reputation and offer spinners dry patches to aim and extract turn out of. The surface should allow pacers to find a hint of uneven bounce also. Given the overall conditions, Victorians can expect a low-scoring affair with the Khulna counterparts unless the curator throws up a completely unexpected change to the strip.
COV vs KHT: Probable Playing XIs
Comilla Victorians: Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Litton Das (c), Mahidul Islam Ankon, Towhid Hridoy, Khushdil Shah, Raymon Reifer, Aamer Jamal, Jaker Ali, Tanvir Islam, Aliss Islam, Mustafizur Rahman
Khulna Tigers: Anamul Haque (c & wk), Parvez Hossain Emon, Afif Hossain, Dasun Shanaka, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Habibur Rahman Sohan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Nahidul Islam, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Nasum Ahmed
COV vs KHT: Cricket Exchange Fantasy Tips
| Roles | Players |
|---|---|
| Wicketkeepers | Anamul Haque, Mohammad Rizwan |
| Batters | Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Towhid Hridoy, Dasun Shanaka |
| Allrounders | Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Afif Hossain, Tanvir Islam |
| Bowlers | Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad Wasim Jr |
| Captain | Mohammad Rizwan |
| Vice-captain | Tanvir Islam |
COV vs KHT: Winning Prediction
Despite the hiccup in the last game, the Tigers take on the field against the Victorians as massive favourites after showcasing significantly better form and performances over their campaign.
 "Kashish Chadha")
