Dhaka Dominators vs Khulna Tigers, BPL 2023, Today Match Prediction

dhdm vs klt Match Prediction & Analysis

Dhaka and Khulna faced each other in their opening match of the last season at this same venue. However, Dhaka was a different franchise and both teams had a very different-looking squad back then.

Not only the captains but there are many other changes to each of these squads this year. Soumya Sarkar, one of the finest players in the Bangladesh Premier League has transferred from Khulna Tigers to Dhaka Dominators. 

Whereas, Tamim Iqbal, who opened for Dhaka last season, will now lead the Khulna Tigers. There are some exciting names from Pakistan and Sri Lanka that will join both teams but may not be available for this game. 

Shan Masood, Naseem Shah, and Dasun Shanaka are part of the squad but their availability is not certain for this match.

Khulna Tigers have a balanced side with many promising batters and a strong pace attack. While Dhaka may not have that many big-hitting players throughout their lineup, their bowling attack can be lethal and give Khulna a tough time.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Dhaka Dominators Preview

Another BPL season, another Dhaka franchise and an all-new squad with only one player retained from last season. The 27-year-old right-arm fast-medium bowler, Taskin Ahmed will lead Dhaka Dominators in the 2023 season.

There aren’t many overseas players in the bowling attack or the all-rounders’ department. The left-arm orthodox Arafat Sunny will be a key bowler along with Shoriful Islam and Al-Amin Hossain. Other bowlers in the Dhaka squad haven’t got much experience.

There’s one selection, however, that can make a big difference to the bowling effort from Dhaka, and that is Chamika Karunaratne. The bowling all-rounder from Sri Lanka has been in good touch and plays a crucial role for his national team.

He is part of the Sri Lanka squad touring India and may not be available for Dhaka Dominators’ opening match. The big-hitting Soumya Sarkar will be accompanied by another slam-bang-style batsman from Sri Lanka, Dilshan Munaweera. 

When Shan Masood is free from his national duty, the left-handed batsman will be a crucial part of the Dhaka batting order. Ahmed Shahzad and Mohammad Mithun bring in plenty of experience and will be key batters to watch out for in this match.

Dhaka Dominators Predicted Playing XI:

Ahmed Shahzad, Soumya Sarkar, Ariful Haque, Usman Ghani, Mohammad Mithun (wk), Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed (c), Arafat Sunny, Al-Amin Hossein, Nasir Hossain, Dilshan Munaweera

Dhaka Dominators Actual Playing XI:

Al-Amin Hossain, Usman Ghani, Taskin Ahmed, Muktar Ali, Ahmed Shehzad, Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Mithun, Dilshan Munaweera, Ariful Haque, Arafat Sunny, Nasir Hossain

Khulna Tigers Preview

The former Dhaka player, Tamim Iqbal will now lead the Khulna Tigers in Bangladesh Premier League 2023. The Tigers finished at number 4 last season with just one more point than Dhaka and were later knocked out in the Eliminator match.

Under the leadership of a new captain along with many new faces in the squad, the franchise would be hoping for a change of fortunes. Many of the star players from last season such as Andre Fletcher, Sikandar Raza, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Thisara Perera are not retained this year.

This year, the Tigers have signed Avishka Fernando and Dasun Shanaka, two of the Sri Lankan stars. They are on a tour of India and will not be available for quite some time.

Khulna can rely on Tamim Iqbal and the big-hitting prowess of wicket-keeper batsman Azam Khan. Even if there’s no Shanaka in this match, Khulna Tigers have Mohammad Saifuddin, a bowling all-rounder who’s been a crucial part of the Bangladesh T20 side.

Sabbir Rahman and Yasir Ali will add strength in the middle order and can be crucial in building partnerships. A 22-year-old Mahmudul Hasan Joy can be seen batting for the Tigers this season.

Joy was the star of the U-19 World Cup win for Bangladesh in 2020 where his hundred led the team to the final. What’s most impressive about this squad is the bowling attack that features Wahab Riaz, Naseem Shah, Nasum Ahmed, and Paul van Meekeren.

Khulna Tigers Predicted Playing XI:

Tamim Iqbal (c), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Sabbir Rahman, Azam Khan (wk), Mohammad Saifuddin, Yasir Ali, Nahidul Islam, Wahab Riaz, Nasum Ahmed, Shafiqul Islam, Paul van Meekeren

Khulna Tigers Actual Playing XI:

Nahidul Islam, Sharjeel Khan, Sabbir Rahman, Azam Khan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Paul Van Meekeren, Yasir Ali , Nasum Ahmed, Munim Shahriar, Tamim Iqbal, Wahab Riaz

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The pitch is batting-friendly and we can expect a good score in the 1st innings powerplay. Batters will find it easy to play their strokes with the new ball. The spinners have a role to play on this surface as it offers some help as the game progresses. The weather will be sunny with a high of 26 degrees Celsius.

Venue Details

The average 1st innings score at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Dhaka is 150 runs in domestic T20s. There have been some high-scoring games at this venue in BPL. We reckon a 170+ total would be competitive enough in the 1st innings.

Toss: To Bowl

Teams batting second in the domestic T20s at this venue have won 109 of the total 207 matches. In the ODIs, teams batting first have an advantage as the pitch gets slower in the second innings. It won’t change much in a T20 game and chasing will not be as difficult.