Four matches, two more spots

After the completion of the Sylhet phase in the ongoing Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League, the road to the play-off stage has taken shape.

Four more matches at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka are left before the play-off stage and three teams will be battling it out for the two remaining spots for the play-off as Fortune Barishal and Comilla Victorians have made their way into the final four.

On the other hand, Sylhet Sunrisers are out of contention as they managed only one win throughout the campaign and have one more game left, but two more points will not help them advance.

Fortune Barishal sit at the top of the points table with 13 points from nine matches. They have one more left against Minister Dhaka, which will be played in the evening today.

A win against Dhaka will cement their position on top, a loss might see them dropping to number two if Comilla Victorians manage to win their remaining two matches against Khulna Tigers, which are on today and tomorrow.

Two wins against Khulna will take Comilla to 15 points, one win will take them to 13 points, but back-to-back losses will restrict them to 11 points.

Dhaka are currently at third and have one more game left against table-topper Barishal. A loss will restrict them to nine points which might not be enough to book a place in the play-offs.

Khulna have two more games left, and both are against Comilla. Mushfiq’s team now possess eight points from eight matches with four wins and four losses.

Back-to-back victory over mighty Comilla can take them to 12 points, which could be sufficient to earn them a berth in the play-offs.

Chattogram Challengers have only one more game left, that too against Sylhet. Challengers have eight points in their account, and another win will take them to 10 points. If they can manage to beat Sylhet by a healthy margin, it will boost their run rate.

But that will not be enough for Chattogram as they will have to depend on the results of the other matches. If Dhaka and Khulna lose their remaining matches, that might open the gates for the Challengers.

The weather was gloomy and overcast on Thursday, and if the weather remains like this on Friday and Sunday, BPL matches might get affected by the rain, which could produce some extra climax. Though the met office said that chances of rainfall on Friday and Saturday are very low.

Khulna Titans will meet Comilla Victorians in the first match today, and later in the evening, Barishal will meet Dhaka in their last group stage match.

On Saturday, Chattogram Challengers will face Sylhet Sunrisers in their last match and in the evening, Khulna and Comilla will face off again.