BCB President’s Cup: Najmul XI, Mahmudullah XI to fight for glory today
High flying Najmul XI expect a wonderful finish of their run in the BCB President’s Cup as they are set take on Mahmudullah XI in the final of the tri-team tournament at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium today (Sunday).
The final was originally scheduled to be held on Friday but inclement weather forecast forced the Bangladesh Cricket Board to shift the match to Sunday, reports BSS.
The match will start at 1.30pm and will be streamed live on BCB’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. State-run Bangladesh Television will also telecast the match live. Monday is kept as the reserve day of the final match.
Najmul XI moved to the final as group champions in the three-team tournament. They acquired three wins in the group phase and lost just one. On the other hand, Mahmudullah XI won two games. The other team of the tournament Tamim Iqbal-led Tamim XI showed a frustrating performance as they won just one.
Najmul XI won both of their matches against Mahmudullah XI in the group phase. Najmul XI chased down Mahmudullah XI’s 196 runs in the first match with utmost ease to seal four wickets victory before losing to Tamim XI by 42 runs.
They, however, came back strongly, thanks to Afif Hossain’s 98 runs piled up 264-8, tournament’s highest score against Mahmudullah XI in the return-leg match. Their bowlers later shot the opponent out for 133 runs to seal a gigantic 131 runs victory for the side. They won their last match against Tamim XI by 7 runs.
Mahmudullah XI so far had crossed 200 runs figure only once in the tournament. But still they are in the final, thanks to their win against Tamim XI in both games.
Given the performance in the group phase, Najmul XI will be favourite but in one-day cricket the performance of certain days is always counted.
Mahmudullah Riyad knows that well and vowed to come up with all guns blazing in the most important game of the tournament.
“First of all we moved to the final, which is a pleasing matter. The BCB’s initiative to organise this tournament came up as good for us. So we are in the final and we are desperate to play well,” Mahmudullah said on Thursday.
Mahmudullah XI’s run rate was so poor that if Tamim XI would have won the last game against Najmul XI, they would be eliminated straightway.
“The last game was important, If Tamim XI would have won, we couldn’t play the final. However fortunately we are in the final and we should make it count.”
Najmul XI captain Najmul Hossain Shanto also is determined to laugh the last.
“We have played well so far in the tournament and one good game tomorrow will help us to seal the trophy. We all are eager to win it,” Shanto said.
But their headache is that of their most dependable and informed batsman Mushfiqur Rahim who hurt his shoulder during the last game against Tamim XI.
BCB sport physician Debashis Chowdhury said that the decision on Mushfiqur Rahim’s participation in the game will be taken on match day.
Mushfiqur Rahim hit one century and two half-centuries in the last four matches to make him the most consistent batsman in the tournament. Shanto hopes that Mushfiqur will be able to take the field in tomorrow’s game.