The fifth edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) promises to be another whirlwind tournament, with significant changes since 2016, both in terms of teams and their personnel. Sylhet Sixers – replace last year’s Barisal Bulls - From England, some perhaps surprising names are set to make an appearance - Adam Lyth (Yorkshire & Rangpur Riders), Ross Whitely (Worcestershire & Sylhet Sixers), Benny Howell (Gloucestershire & Khulna Titans) and Jofra Archer (Sussex & Khulna Titans) join the more established T20 travellers Jos Butler, Luke Wright (2nd most T20 hundreds in the world), Samit Patel and Ravi Bopara. The star-studded tournament will see Pakistani players available from mid-November, as the tournament clashes with Pakistan’s own domestic competition.
.jpg "Chris Gayle scored his 20th century in Twenty20")
Chris Gayle went on to smash an unbeaten 146 off just 69 deliveries as Rangpur Riders went on to post 206 for one and later restricted Dhaka Dynamites to 149 runs in the final in Dhaka to clinch their maiden Bangladesh Premier League title.
.jpg "Johnson Charles came up with a man of the match performance")
Johnson Charles scored a blistering 105 while Brendon McCullum smashed 78 as Rangpur Riders went on to beat Comilla Victorians by 36 runs in the Qualifier 2 of the Bangladesh Premier League to set up the final with Dhaka Dynamites.
.jpg "Can Mashrafe Mortaza inspire Rangpur Riders to maiden BPL win?")
As the Bangladesh Premier League 2018 edition steps into the concluding stage, it will be Rangpur Riders, who will lock horns with Dhaka Dynamites at Shere Bangla National Stadium in the final on Tuesday.
.jpg "Chris Gayle scored unbeaten 126 for Rangpur Riders")
For scoring a blistering 126 run unbeaten knock in the Eliminator contest of the Bangladesh Premier League against Khulna Titans in Dhaka, Rangpur Riders' opening batsman Chris Gayle is the Cricket World Player of the Week.
Heavy and continuous rain at Shere Bangla Stadium in Mirpur has pushed the Qualifier 2 game in the Bangladesh Premier League between Rangpur Riders and Comilla Victorians into the reserve day after only seven overs of play was possible on Sunday.
.jpg "Shahid Afridi came up with another match winning performance")
Shahid Afridi scored a blistering 30 run knock and followed it with a three wicket haul as well to help Dhaka Dynamites complete a massive 95 run victory over Comilla Victorians to book a berth in the final of the Bangladesh Premier League.
.jpg "Chris Gayle remained unbeaten on 126")
Chris Gayle smashed an unbeaten 126 run knock as Rangpur Riders chased down 168 runs with ease in 15.2 overs with eight wickets in hand against Khulna Titans in the Eliminator contest of the Bangladesh Premier League.
.jpg "Marlon Samuels scored 55 off 43 deliveries")
Half-centuries from Liton Das and Marlon Samuels followed by a three-wicket haul from Graeme Cremer helped Comilla Victorians finish the league stage with their ninth win in 12 games in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League.
.jpg "Shakib Al Hasan came up with a man of the match performance")
Shakib Al Hasan led from the front with an unbeaten 47 and followed it with a two-wicket haul as Dhaka Dynamites sealed the second position in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League with a 43 run victory over Rangpur Riders in Mirpur.
A blistering unbeaten 80 run unbeaten knock from Luis Reece and an all-round performance from Sikandar Raza powered Chittagong Vikings to a 45-run victory against Rajshahi Kings in their final league game of the Bangladesh Premier League in Dhaka.
Late flourish with the bat from Ariful Haque and Carlos Brathwaite proved vital as Khulna Titans completed a 14 run victory in their final league against Comilla Victorians to claim a second place in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League.
.jpg "Ravi Bopara picked two wickets")
An unbeaten half century from Mohammad Mithun and a collective effort from the bowlers provided vital as Rangpur Riders completed a 19 run victory in the 38th game of the Bangladesh Premier League in Dhaka to make it to the play-offs.
Nasir Hossain led from the front with a five-wicket haul as Sylhet Sixers bowled out Chittagong Vikings for 67 runs and later chased down the target in 11.1 overs with 10 wickets in hand in the 37th game to remain in contention for a play-off spot.
.jpg "Sunil Narine scored a blistering 69 opening the batting")
After Dhaka Dynamites went on to post 205 for five in their innings, a four-wicket haul from Shakib Al Hasan played a pivotal role in dismissing Rajshahi Kings for 106 as they completed a 99 run victory in the 36th game of the Bangladesh Premier League in Dhaka.
.jpg "Hasan Ali struck a six in the only delivery he faced")
Mahedi Hasan and Mohammad Saifuddin shared seven wickets between them to bowl out Rangpur Riders for 97 runs following which Comilla Victorians managed to reach the target with four wickets and three deliveries to spare in the 35th game of the Bangladesh Premier League in Dhaka.
Hobart Hurricanes have managed to obtain the service of wicket-keeper batsman Matthew Wade for the upcoming season of the Big Bash League season.
Comilla Victorians pace bowler Al-Amin Hossain has been reported for a suspected illegal bowling action during his stint in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League.
Dwayne Bravo and Mohammad Saifuddin picked five wickets between them as Comilla Victorians restricted Dhaka Dynamites to 155 runs in a chase of 168 in the 34th game of the Bangladesh Premier League in Chittagong.
.jpg "Darren Sammy scored 40 off 25 deliveries")
Qazi Onik registered figures of 17 for four on his debut as Rajshahi Kings completed a 33 run victory defending 157 against Chittagong Vikings in the 33rd game of the Bangladesh Premier League in Chittagong.
.jpg "Shoaib Malik picked three wickets")
Shoaib Malik and Al-Amin Hossain picked three wickets apiece as Comilla Victorians restricted Khulna Titans for 111 and later chased down the target comfortably in 13.5 overs with nine wickets in hand in the 32nd game of the Bangladesh Premier League in Chittagong.
After Nazmul Islam picked a three wicket haul, cameos from Mashrafe Mortaza and Nahidul Islam proved vital as Rangpur Riders chased down 174 against Sylhet Sixers in the 32nd game of the Bangladesh Premier League in Chittagong.
Afif Hossain and Nicholas Pooran scored half-centuries while Shafiul Islam picked a five wicket haul as Khulna Titans completed a 68 run victory against Rajshahi Kings in the 30th game of the Bangladesh Premier League in Chittagong.
.jpg "Evin Lewis continued his good form in the tournament with yet another terrific knock")
Evin Lewis scored a brilliant 31-ball 75 as Dhaka Dynamites went on to chase 188 runs against Chittagong Vikings in the 19th over with seven wickets in hand in the 29th game of the Bangladesh Premier League.
.jpg "Mashrafe Mortaza played a brilliant 17 ball cameo")
Thisara Perera held his nerve in a brilliant 14-ball cameo as he helped Rangpur Riders complete a thrilling last ball victory chasing 177 runs against Chittagong Vikings in the 28th game of the Bangladesh Premier League.
Darren Sammy and Mohammad Sami produced brilliant individual performances as Rajshahi Kings went on to register their third win in this season of Bangladesh Premier League with 30-run triumph over Comilla Victorians in the 27th game in Chittagong.
A scintillating 95 run knock from Sikandar Raza played a pivotal role in Chittagong Vikings returning back to winning ways as they completed a 40 run victory of Sylhet Sixers in the 26th game of the Bangladesh Premier League.
.jpg "Mahmudullah led from the front for Khulna Titans")
Khulna Titans have successfully claimed the top position in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League after managing to edge out Rangpur Riders by nine runs in the 25th game in Chittagong on Friday.
.jpg "Evin Lewis is currently the leading run-scorer in the tournament")
As the 2017 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League is at the halfway mark, we take a look at where the teams are positioned and the chances of them making to the play-offs.
.jpg "Mashrafe Mortaza was fined 40 per cent of his match fees")
Rangpur Riders have been fined for slow over-rate following their clash against the Dhaka Dynamites on Wednesday. The captain, Mashrafe Mortaza has been fined 40 percent of his match fee while the other players received 20 percent fines.
Thisara Perara bagged two crucial big wickets in the ultimate over to defend 10 runs and help Rangpur Riders secure a narrow three runs victory during the Bangladesh Premier League at Dhaka on Tuesday.
.jpg "Mahmudullah scored a valiant half-century")
Ariful Haque's late blitzkrieg helped Khulna Titans to secure a thrilling two wickets win during the Bangladesh Premier League clash at Dhaka on Tuesday.
.jpg "Ravi Bopara's unbeaten 48 wasn't enough for Rangpur Riders")
Mahedi Hasan had a dream debut as Comilla Victorians successfully defended 153 runs against Rangpur Raiders in the 20th game of the Bangladesh Premier League in Dhaka.
Evin Lewis and Kieron Pollard scored blistering half-centuries while Shahid Afridi claimed a four wicket haul as Dhaka Dynamites reclaimed the top position in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League with a 68 run win over Rajshahi Kings in Dhaka.
Khulna Titans have climbed to the second position in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League as they went on to defeat Chittagong Vikings by five wickets in the 18th game in Dhaka on Friday.
Zakir Hasan played a scintillating 51 run unbeaten knock to help Rajshahi Kings chase down 147 runs in 17.3 overs with seven wickets in hand in the 17th game of the Bangladesh Premier League against Sylhet Sixers in Dhaka.
Innecesant and continuous rain have led to the abandonment of 15th and 16th game in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.
.jpg "Imrul Kayes scored a valiant 45 in the chase")
Imrul Kayes and Jos Buttler scored 45 and 44 respectively as Comilla Victorians chased down 140 runs against Chittagong Vikings in 18.1 overs with six wickets in hand in the 14th game of the Bangladesh Premier League against Chittagong Vikings in Dhaka on Tuesday.
.jpg "Kieron Pollard scored 55 off 24 deliveries")
Kieron Pollard scored a blistering half-century while Jahurul Islam played a calm innings under pressure as Dhaka Dynamites chased down 157 runs against Khulna Titans in the penultimate delivery with five wickets in hand in the 13th game of the Bangladesh Premier League.
Mohammad Nabi picked a three wicket haul while Rashid Khan conceded just seven runs off four overs as Comilla Victorians restricted Rajshahi Kings to 115 for seven and later chased down the target in 15.1 overs with nine wickets in hand in the 12th match of the Bangladesh Premier League in Dhaka.
.jpg "Mahmudullah scored 40 off 33 deliveries")
Abu Jayed registered figures of 35 for four as Khulna Titans overcame Chittagong Vikings by 18 runs in the 11th game of the Bangladesh Premier League in Dhaka.
.jpg "Shahid Afridi came up with a complete all-round performance")
Shahid Afridi picked four wickets and followed it with a blistering 37 run knock as well as Dhaka Dynamites trounced Sylhet Sixers by eight wickets in the 10th game of the Bangladesh Premier League in Mirpur.
.jpg "Lendl Simmons scored 53 runs")
Lendl Simmons and Mominul Haque scored half-centuries as Rajshahi Kings registered their maiden win in the ongoing season of the Bangladesh Premier League against Rangpur Riders in Dhaka.
Khulna Titans managed to open their account in the ongoing edition of the Bangladesh Premier League following a six-wicket victory over Sylhet Sixers in the eighth game of the tournament.
Luke Ronchi scored a blistering 78 while Taskin Ahmed picked a three wicket haul as Chittagong Vikings sealed a 11 run victory over Rangpur Riders in the seventh game of the Bangladesh Premier League in Sylhet.
.jpg "Danushka Gunathilaka came up with a man of the match performance")
Upul Tharanga slammed his third consecutive half-century while Abul Hasan and Liam Plunkett picked three wickets apiece as Sylhet Sixers registered a 33 run victory over Rajshahi Kings in the sixth game of the Bangladesh Premier League in Sylhet.
After Mohammad Saifuddin picked a three wicket haul to restrict Chittagong Vikings to 143 for seven, Jos Buttler led the chase with a determined 48 run knock to help Comilla Victorians register an eight wicket win in the fifth game of the Bangladesh Premier League in Sylhet.
.jpg "Shane Watson will miss BPL 2017")
Dhaka Dynamites will miss the services of former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League 2017 due to an injury.
Evin Lewis and Cameron Delport slammed a blistering fifties while Abu Hider Rony picked a three wicket haul as Dhaka Dynamites registered their first victory in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League against Khulna Titans in Sylhet.
.jpg "Upul Tharanga was among the runs once again")
Upul Tharanga maintained his rich vein of form as Sylhet Sixers chased down 146 runs with four wickets and one ball to spare in the third game of the Bangladesh Premier League in Sylhet.
.jpg "Ravi Bopara played a decisive knock for the Raiders")
Ravi Bopara and Thisara Perera shared an unbeaten 42 run stand off just 21 deliveries to help Rangpur Raiders complete a 155 run chase with two wickets in hand against Rajshahi Kings in the second game of the Bangladesh Premier League in Sylhet.
Upul Tharanga and Andre Fletcher slammed unbeaten half-centuries to help Sylhet Sixers chase down 137 runs in the 17th over with nine wickets in hand in the opening game of the Bangladesh Premier League at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
In this edition of Mr Predictor , Alastair Symondson previews the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2017 and covers each teams’ chances and the players to watch out for.
This year’s new boys! A big squad, but little in the way of match winners. Liam Plunkett comes off a terrific year in white ball cricket for England to lead the attack, but I see the Sixers’ first year being a struggle.
Even without the injured Shane Watson, they have the ideal mix of home grown talent and proven T20 jets such as Kumar Sangakarra, Evin Lewis, Sunil Narine and Mohammad Amir.
Last year’s surprise package, led by cricket’s best smile and all-round gem, Darren Sammy. He has some excellent players of experience to assist him in trying to repeat last year’s feats in Samit Patel, Lendl Simmons and Luke Wright – but the squad looks thin that aside.
Mashrafe Mortaza just keeps going, doesn’t he? Held together by some sticky back tape someone nicked from the set of Blue Peter in 1997, if he’s on the field he’ll be vital to the Riders’ success.