Riders tottering against Vikings in opening BPL game

Defending champions Rangpur Riders lost six wickets in just nine overs scoring only 32 runs in the opening match of the sixth season of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) on Saturday.

Vikings South African medium pacer Robbie Frylinck picked up three wickets while off-spinner Nayeem Hasan took two in the first half of the Riders’ innings.

Earlier, Chittagong captain Mushfiqur Rahim won the toss and invited Rangpur to bat first at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

The Vikings finished the last BPL bottom at the points table. This time, they are hoping to write a new history as their skipper Mushfiqur Rahim said a day before the match.

“We are a balanced team now, and we want to take the advantage of the team," he said on Friday during practice at National Cricket Academy.

On the other hand, the Rangpur Riders captain Mashrafe Mortaza insisted they are all set to fight to defend the title.

“It always put an extra pressure to play being the defending champions. But we are optimistic and confident. We have to make sure a positive start," Masrhafe told the media.

In the second match of the day, Dhaka Dynamites will lock horn with Rajshahi Kings. The second match will kick off at 5:20pm.

Chittagong Vikings (Playing XI): Mohammad Shahzad, Cameron Delport, Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim(wk/c), Mosaddek Hossain, Sikandar Raza, Robbie Frylinck, Nayeem Hasan, Sunzamul Islam, Abu Jayed, Khaled Ahmed

Rangpur Riders (Playing XI): Alex Hales, Mohammad Mithun (wk), Rilee Rossouw, Mehedi Maruf, Ravi Bopara, Benny Howell, Farhad Reza, Mashrafe Mortaza(c), Sohag Gazi, Nazmul Islam, Shafiul Islam.