Rangpur Riders vs Sylhet Strikers, BPL 2023, Today Match Prediction 14 February 2023

rgr vs syst Match Prediction & Analysis

The Rangpur Riders will take on Sylhet Strikers in the 2nd Qualifier of the Bangladesh Premier League 2023. The Riders come here with a win against Fortune Barishal in the Eliminator game, while the Strikers lost to the Victorians in the 1st Qualifier. The two sides will battle to reach the final and take on the Comilla Victorians.  

The Rangpur Riders have defeated the Strikers twice in the league stage, which will make the side confident. They are enjoying a good run in the tournament, with seven wins in their last eight games. The Strikers have seen a dip in their form, which will be a tough challenge for them. There would be pressure on both camps, and we will have a tight contest.  
 

TEAMS PREVIEW

Rangpur Riders Preview

Nurul Hasan's team delivered a strong performance in the last game defeating Fortune Barishal by 4 wickets. It was an excellent performance by their batsmen, who ended up chasing a big total clinically. They had won both games against the Strikers, and the Riders' skipper would like to draw inspiration from that win.  

Mohammad Naim and Rony Talukdar form a strong opening pair, and they will look to set up a big partnership at the top. Shamim Hossain played a match-winning knock in the last game, and he will feel confident. The side would also expect a good show from Hasan and Nicholas Pooran in the middle order. Dasun Shanaka and Dwayne Bravo add depth to the batting line-up.  

Their bowlers had a poor day in the last outing and need good spells from Rakibul Hasan and Mujeeb ur Rahman. Mahedi Hasan and Hasan Mahmud leaked runs in the last game, and they must do well in this contest. Bravo and Shanaka are experienced bowlers, and they must do well in the supporting act.  

Rangpur Riders Predicted Playing XI:

Nurul Hasan (c & wk), Mohammad Naim, Rony Talukdar, Nicholas Pooran, Shamim Hossain, Dasun Shanaka, Rakibul Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, Mahedi Hasan, Dwayne Bravo, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Rangpur Riders Actual Playing XI:

Dwayne Bravo, Shamim Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Rakibul Hasan, Rony Talukdar, Nicholas Pooran, Robiul Haque, Dasun Shanaka, Mahedi Hasan, Nurul Hasan, Sam Billings

Sylhet Strikers Preview

Mashrafe Mortaza would be upset with the show his batsmen put up in the 1st Qualifier against the Comilla Victorians. They folded up for only 125 runs batting first and lost the game by 4 wickets. The Strikers skipper would like to see better efforts from his batsmen as they fight it out to earn a place in the next round.  

The side would need a big partnership from Najmul Hossain Shanto and Shafiqullah Ghafari in this game. They would need runs from Towhid Hridoy and Zakir Hasan in the middle order, who missed out in the last game. Mushfiqur Rahim, Mashrafe Mortaza, Ryan Burl, and George Linde add firepower to the batting down the order, and they need to score runs in this game.  

The side will need good spells with the new ball from Rubel Hossain and Isuru Udana, as they leaked runs at the top in the last game. Tanzim Hasan Sakib and George Linde must bowl tight spells in the middle overs. The side would like to see Shafiqullah Ghafari and Mortaza bowl tight lines in the supporting role.

Sylhet Strikers Predicted Playing XI:

Mashrafe Mortaza (c), Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shafiqullah Ghafari, Towhid Hridoy, Zakir Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Ryan Burl, George Linde, Isuru Udana, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Rubel Hossain

Sylhet Strikers Actual Playing XI:

Luke Wood, Mushfiqur Rahim, George Linde, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Rubel Hossain, Towhid Hridoy, Ryan Burl, Mashrafe Mortaza, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Zakir Hasan, Thisara Perera

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The weather forecast for Wednesday, February 14 is bright and sunny, which should offer a good game of cricket. While the Shere Bangla National Stadium pitch is known to be a belter and has seen high-scoring games, it is winter and there seems to be a bit of dampness in the pitch. It should help the side that bowls first in the initial few overs with a bit of seam movement.

Venue Details

It is an ideal T20 venue where batsmen love to hit the ball, and we have witnessed several high-scoring games so far. The ball comes onto the bat well, and with shorter boundaries around the square most batsmen fancy their chances. In evening games, spinners have a tough time bowling in the second innings though they have got good returns out of the pitch early in the evening.

Toss: To Bowl

The team winning the toss should elect to bowl first. It's an evening game, and there should be dew during the second innings. Since both sides have a good number of spinners in their squad, they won't fancy bowling with a wet ball. A dry track early in the evening should assist the side bowling first.