Khulna, Cumilla vie for play-off spot
After a day’s break the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BBPL) will resume today and it will be a do-or-die situation for Cumilla Warriors against Khulna Tigers under the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium floodlights.
While a win would be enough for Khulna -- currently fourth on the seven-team table with 12 points from 10 matches -- to secure the last play-off spot, the equation is a bit more complicated for Cumilla. The Dawid Malan-led team sit just below Khulna with 10 points from 11 games and because of an inferior net run rate (0.056 to Khulna’s 0.506), a win today may not be enough.
They now not only have to beat Khulna convincingly but will also have to hope that Dhaka Platoon thrash Khulna in the final game of the league stage tomorrow so that Khulna’s net run-rate dips below Cumilla’s, who will then steal into the play-offs.
The three teams already through to the play-offs are table-toppers Chattogram Challengers, Dhaka and Rajshahi Royals.
However, before Cumilla fight for their survival, Dhaka will bid to regain top spot by beating Rangpur Rangers and increase their chances of finishing in the top two. The top two teams can afford to lose a game in the play-offs as they will get a second chance to qualify for the final, while the bottom two qualifiers will have to win all games in order to bag the title.
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