Will the top six move up a gear?
The off-field controversies may have hit the headlines more than the game itself during the first phase of the Bangabandhu Dhaka Premier League T20 competition, all eyes will focus on the quality of cricket when the top six teams battle it out in the super league stage, starting from today.
There were hardly any competitive encounters in the group stage rather Shakib Al Hasan's awful behaviour over the umpire's decision along with Sabbir Rahman's racial abuse of Elias Sunny made headlines globally.
Prime Bank Cricket Club leads the table after finishing with 18 point from nine wins in eleven games, where the points will be carried forward to the super league stage. However, they will be missing the service of Tigers ODI captain Tamim Iqbal, who is still suffering from a knee injury.
Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club and Mushfiqur Rahim's Abahani Limited are at number two and three respectively with 16 points. The rest -- Mahmudullah Riyad's Gazi Group Cricketers (14), Mohammedan Sporting Club (13) and Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club (13) -- will have their work cut out to remain alive for the championship fight.
All the super league matches will take place at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur with three games scheduled each day.
Prime Doleshwar and Gazi Group feature in the day's first encounter, scheduled to begin at 9 am followed by Prime Bank against Sheikh Jamal at 2 pm while at 6 pm under lights, Abahani and arch-rivals Mohammedan will lock horns.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) have decided to broadcast all the super league matches live on TV.
Mohammedan will be without their star all-rounder and skipper Shakib who played his last group stage game after completing the three-match suspension and is expected to leave for the United States to spend time with his family before the Zimbabwe tour.
The bottom three teams after the first leg -- Legends of Rupganj, Old DOHS and Partex Sporting Club -- will take part in the relegation league where the last two teams will be relegated to the first division.
Rupganj and Partex play in the first match of the relegation league today. Meanwhile, Rupganj officials have officially requested the CCDM to have ICC panel umpires and review system for their match against OLD DOHS on June 21 and to hold the match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
However, the CCDM is yet to respond to Rupganj's request, filed yesterday.
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