BPL kicks off today

Less than a week after the world witnessed Bangladesh's value as a destination for a Test tour, focus shifts to the very opposite end of the spectrum with the start of the fourth edition of the Bangladesh Premier League today. The differences may be vast between cricket's oldest format and the newest, T20s, that will be the centre of attention till the final on December 9, but the effect of showcasing Bangladesh as a prime cricketing destination will be similar to England's tour.

The BPL opens with defending champions Comilla Victorians, led by Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, taking on the Darren Sammy-led Rajshahi Kings at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium at 2:30pm. The second match of the opening day will pit Mahmudullah Riyad's Khulna Titans against Rangpur Riders, who will likely be led by Pakistan's mercurial all-rounder Shahid Afridi.

Over the next 36 days, Dhaka and Chittagong will be home to foreign stars from Afghanistan, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Pakistan playing for seven franchises. In addition to the teams that will be locked in battle today, last year's runners-up Barisal Bulls, Chittagong Vikings and Dhaka Dynamites will be vying for the coveted trophy and the Tk 2-crore prize money over the next month and five days.

COMILLA VS RAJSHAHI

Comilla seem to have most bases covered, starting with their captain, the inspirational Mashrafe. A strong foreign contingent will stand them in good stead, with teams being allowed a minimum of three and a maximum of four foreign players per match. The opening combination should be one of the stronger ones in the league, with national opener Imrul Kayes expected to pair up with Ahmed Shehzad of Pakistan. It will also be interesting to see how under-19 star Nazmul Hossain fares if picked,  while the surprise package in the middle order may be Mohammad Al-Amin, who had a good Dhaka Premier League season this year.

The bowling will probably be in the hands of Mashrafe, West Indian Test captain Jason Holder, Pakistan's Sohail Tanvir and Afghanistan's excellent leg-spinner Rashid Khan.

With Sammy leading Rajshahi, a fair amount of swag can be expected when they take the field today. Their big drawing point may well be the presence of recent Test hero Mehedi Hasan Miraz, who will be looking to translate his bowling excellence to the shortest format while also reminding viewers that he is more than a capable batsman. Rajshahi's trump card may turn out to be Bangladesh's young tyro Sabbir Rahman, who will be a threat in the middle order.

Rajshahi have a wealth of foreign options, and depending on the pitch they may choose to go in with one among Pakistan speedster Mohammad Sami or West Indies' Kesrick Williams, supported by either or both local pacers Abul Hasan and Ebadat Hossain. Sri Lanka's Upul Tharanga will almost certainly open the batting, while Umar Akmal is expected to make up the foreign contingent.

KHULNA VS RANGPUR

Riyad will lead newcomers Khulna on to the field against a side that will probably be led by one of the most charismatic cricketers in modern times in Afridi, but Khulna will not be lacking in their fair share of flair. And Riyad, with his recent role as Bangladesh's T20 finisher, will be leading the way in that regard. He will have local support from veteran hard-hitting all-rounder Alok Kapali, while West Indies' Lendl Simmons and Kevon Cooper, both with a fair bit of success in BPLs past, will lend the foreign expertise. Recent Test returnee Shuvagata Hom will also be counted upon to pull his weight with the bat, and also bowl a few overs of off-spin if the pitch demands it. The fast-medium talents of Ben Laughlin from Australia and Benny Howell from England may also be called upon, while Bangladesh pacer Shafiul Islam is a likely choice to open the bowling.

Rangpur boasts some explosive talent. Local players Soumya Sarkar and Pinak Ghosh, foreigners Mohammad Shehzad from Afghanistan, Nasir Jamshed from Pakistan and West Indies' Under-19 star Gidron Pope will look to form a formidable batting line-up. Afridi will of course be there to brandish his bat like a weapon lower down the order and bring out his fizzing leg breaks when they take the field.

There will be two matches per day in Mirpur up till November 13, with a break on November 7, before the show moves on to Chittagong between November 17 and November 22. BPL will then return to Dhaka for the remainder of the league, with the top two teams eventually playing a qualifier, and the third and fourth-placed teams at the end of the 42-match league phase playing an eliminator. The loser of the qualifier will play the winner of the first eliminator for the right to meet the winner of the qualifier in the final on December 9.