Chittagong Challengers to trust in 'impact players' in BPL 2023

Chittagong Challengers displayed great aptitude with an average team in the previous BPL. This time too they did not run toward well-known superstars. However, there are some players in the battalion of Chittagong Challengers who can satisfy the demands of T20.

Chittagong retained Afif Hossain in a direct agreement. This regular face of the Bangladesh national T20I squad is also a reliable name for the Chittagong team. A glimpse of Afif was seen in vital matches in the last season. Afif does not get the chance to bat in the national team a lot but he can perform at the top orders in BPL.

Chittagong obtained Lankan pacer Vishwa Fernando, off-spinning all-rounder Ashan Priyanjan and Ireland's Curtis Campher on direct contracts. In the meantime, Campher has shown glances of itself in the last World Cup. His batting with a medium pace can be the biggest investment of the team.

Chittagong did not look at local big stars after getting the chance from the draft. The first two they picked, Mrittunjoy Chowdhury and Shuvagata Hom Chowdhury, have not been on the national team.

Shuvagata, who earlier played in the national team, is a routine player in domestic cricket as an off-spinning all-rounder. This right-hander can storm the lower middle order. His off-spin is very useful in Bangladeshi conditions.

Although he could not drive it to the national team, Mrittunjoy has already introduced himself. He delivered it in the last BPL by showing the capability of death bowling by making a hat-trick. This left-hander is also very intelligent with the bat.

Chittagong has brought Max O'Dowd of the Netherlands in the opening thought. He has played great in the World Cup. However, there is a huge distinction in the character of Australia's wicket and Bangladesh's wicket. Let's wait and see how he does on the slow wicket. Chittagong has also taken the Unmukt Chand who took the citizenship of the United States. Chand understood the conditions of Asia rather well. Taufiq Khan Tushar is an option among the locals in this place. He came into the discussion by batting fiercely in first-class cricket for the Sylhet division.

Taijul Islam is the reliability of the team in the spin. Although, Taijul is still not strong in T20I cricket. So, there is a challenge ahead of him. They have retained professional domestic cricket all-rounders like Farhad Reza and Ziaur Rahman. There is wicket-keeper batsman Irfan Sukkur. They can make a difference in their day.

The pace battery is not very sharp, to say the least. Mrittunjoy will be accompanied by another left-handed pacer Mehdi Hasan Rana. There is also right-handed pacer Abu Jayed Rahi but he has not been in shape recently. Even if Rana gets a wicket, he is often not much economical. It remains to be seen how much the bowling deficit will concern the unit.

Chittagong Challengers will face Sylhet Strikers in the first match of BPL on January 6, 2023.

Chittagong Challengers Team

Direct contracts: Afif Hossain, Vishwa Fernando (Sri Lanka), Ashan Priyanjan (Sri Lanka), Curtis Campher (Ireland), Darwish Rasooli (Afghanistan).

Locals from Draft: Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, Shuvagata Hom Chowdhury, Mehedi Hasan Rana, Irfan Shukkur, Mehedi Maruf, Ziaur Rahman, Taijul Islam, Abu Jayed Rahi, Farhad Reza, Taufiq Khan Tushar.

Foreigners from the draft: Max O'Dowd (Netherlands), Unmukt Chand (India/USA).

Tamim's Khulna Tigers will be battling with a balanced team in BPL 2023

Tamim Iqbal has already retired from the T20I. Nevertheless, he is very active in twenty-over cricket in the domestic arena. Bangladesh's one-day captain, who played in Dhaka's team last season, will handle Khulna's squad this time. Khulna Tigers are not filled with T20 national team hot-cakes but their squad is fairly balanced.

In addition to Tamim, Khulna has signed Sri Lankan Avishka Fernando, Pakistan's Wahab Riaz, Naseem Shah, and Azam Khan through direct agreements. They will not enjoy Nasim's show at the start of the tournament but the rest will be available from the start.

Meanwhile, there are suspicions about Wahab Riaz's performance. The 37-year-old pacer has long since passed his peak in Pakistan. However, as he is aware of the Bangladesh wicket, Khulna trusts him. Naseem can be the team's trump card. However, it is inquisitive what this speedy pacer does on Mirpur's pitch. It is very challenging for fast bowlers to do good on wickets where normal balls come to rest unless they are tactical.

Avishka and Azam can be the spine of Khulna's batting. Both played in the top orders. Left-hander Avishka is likely to partner Tamim in the openers. Pakistani Azam is quite skilled in creating a shower of runs with the bat. Munim Shahriar is also in Khulna for the opening options. This right-hander, who shined in Fortune Barisal in the previous BPL, is quite useful in the domestic cricket of Bangladesh.

Yasir Ali Chowdhury is Khulna's expectancy in the middle order along with Sabbir Rahman. Though Yasir will have more accountability. Even if they rotate to the top order, they can employ Mahmudul Hasan Joy in the middle order as well. Khulna has brought Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka into the unit from the players' draft. He can create a big influence in the tournament. In addition to fierce batting in the middle order, he can also bowl with a medium pace.

Pace all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin can be the place of the extraordinary power of Khulna. Saifuddin's bowling is always practical in the country's conditions. He can also donate down the bat. The same can be said about Nasum Ahmed who runs the spin bowling department. This spinner of the national team is deadly on the wickets of Mirpur, Chittagong, and Sylhet. He does a fantastic job of stopping runs on the power play.

Khaled Mahmud Sujan will play a major role in determining the tactics of the team, this convincing cricket character who coached Barisal last season is now in Khulna. Khulna Tigers' BPL will begin with a match against Dhaka Dominators at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on January 7, 2023.

Khulna Tigers Team

Direct contracts: Tamim Iqbal, Avishka Fernando (Sri Lanka), Wahab Riaz (Pakistan), Naseem Shah (Pakistan), Azam Khan (Pakistan).

Local Players from Draft: Mohammad Saifuddin, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Nasum Ahmed, Nahidul Islam, Munim Shahriar, Sabbir Rahman, Shafiqul Islam, Pritam Kumar, Habibur Rahman Sohan, Mahmudul Hasan Joy.

Foreigners from the draft: Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka), Paul van Meekeren (Netherlands).