Cumilla Warriors vs Rangpur Rangers match prediction
The seventh edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) will kickstart on Wednesday at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.
The defending champions Cumilla Warriors will lock horns with Rangpur Rangers in the second match of the Bangladesh Premier League 2019 edition. The squads have been overhauled completely and the new look teams will look to make their mark in the revamped edition of the BPL.
With the flagship signings of Dawid Malan and Mujeeb ur Rehman, Cumilla Warriors strengthened their core. Kusal Perera, Dasun Shanaka and Bangladesh national side regulars, Soumya Sarkar, Al Amin Hossain and Sabbir Rehman, will further add to Warriors’ arsenal.
Rangers on the other hand, have picked up the cutter master – Mustafizur Rehman and the shorter format specialist Mohammed Nabi. Cameron Delport too will join the squad after completing the season with Paarl Rocks in the Mzansi Super League 2019, where he has had a good run with the willow. With two teams heavily stacked up with players who can make impacts, it remains to be seen how does this second match pans out. In the meantime, let us take you through the top three bets for this game.
The Warriors for the match win
Cumilla Warriors to win @ 2.10
Previously guised as Comilla Victorians, the defending champions will begin their BPL journey with a rather interesting challenge. Rangpur Rangers will leave no stone unturned against the title holders, but they would need a little extra to get past this squad full of talents. The composition and the look of the team may have changed, but Warriors still possess a serious threat. The likes of Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rehman and Al Amin Hossain will add to the local firepower and that is extremely crucial in the context of the tournament.
Warriors and Rangers have faced each other 11 times in the past. Warriors have won six times and Rangers on the other hand have won five. All of Warriors’ victory against Rangers have come at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. Meanwhile, Ranger has registered four victories over Warriors at this venue.
Warriors’ new signing Dawid Malan has been on top form with the bat recently. They will be relying heavily on the Yorkshire batsman who can hit the ball really hard. Malan has featured in nine T20 international matches and has managed to rack up 458 runs at an astounding average of 57.25. Bet 365 is offering odds of 2.10 for Warriors and punters have a real chance of doubling their investments.
Mujeeb to glance again at Shere Bangla Stadium
Mujeeb ur Rahman to be Cumilla Warriors’ top bowler @ 2.75
The crafty spinner from Afghanistan has already proven his worth on the world stage and also in several T20 leagues across the globe. Having Mujeeb in the side is almost like a bonus weapon which can help you win matches. Thus, the selection of Mujeeb must have made the Warriors’ fans happier than usual. Let us take a look at his last three T20 international figures - 1/3, 0/10 and 1/27.
These figures suggest how good a bowler he is in this format of the game. The economy rate is incredible and the way he can put a tap on run flow is simply outstanding. Mujeeb also had a good time in the Abu Dhabi T10 League where he picked up four wickets in the last three games and went for very few runs.
Mujeeb has played at the Shere Bangla Stadium before and has four wickets to his name in two matches here. His bowling average at this venue is also amazing – 11.00. It is but obvious that no other player can be as economical as he is in the Warriors side and that is what makes him a crucial addition to the pack.
Malan vs Perera H2H
Dawid Malan to score more runs than Kusal Perera @1.83
Reiterating what we have mentioned earlier that Malan has had an incredible run with the bat in this format of the gentleman’s game. Let’s take a look at his last three T20 international scores:
39, 55 and 103*
197 runs in three matches with an average of 98.5 and he is hungry for more. He also has a strike rate of 156.31 and that is nothing short of ominous. Once Malan gets going, it will be very difficult for Rangers’ bowlers to stop him.
Kusal Perera has had an inconsistent period in recent times. His last few T20 international scores look like 11, 11, 3, 16, 27 and 57. With just one fifty in six innings, inconsistency has hurt him. In Abu Dhabi T10 League, Perera only had two 40 plus scores in six matches.
Perera does not have a great record when it comes to playing at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. He has featured in two matches and has managed only 26 runs with an average of 15.50. However, both Malan and Perera will be playing in the BPL for the first time. Consistency will be a key and momentum too, which is going hand in hand with Malan at the moment. Punters can put their money on Malan over Perera as Bet 365 is offering odds of 1.83 for the Englishman.
