Mohammedan will be depending on veterans Imrul Kayes (L) and Mahmudullah Riyad (2L) for the Super League opener against Abahani in absence of Shakib Al Hasan and Mehedi Hasan Miraz. On the other hand, Abahani possess available stars in Mohammad Naim, Afif Hossain and Anamul Haque Bijoy (R), who continued his rich vein of form in DPL from last season. Photos: Firoz Ahmed
The Dhaka Premier League (DPL) Super League stage is set to begin from today with high-profile domestic matchups Mohammedan Sporting and Abahani Limited facing off on the first day of the Super League phase.
The game will begin at 9 am (BST) at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Abahani, on 20 points, are second in the table behind Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi on virtue of head-to-head differential. Mohammedan, meanwhile, lie in fifth with 13 points.
Abahani skipper Mosaddek Hossain was hoping the match will have a high-voltage feel in the Super League phase, having won the first group phase fixture against Mohammedan by six wickets.
“We do feel it (excitement). When I began playing Premier League, Abahani-Mohammedan was always a high-voltage fixture. I’ve faced it myself as well and hope we will get a similar feel in the Super League phase,” Mosaddek told the media yesterday.
Mohammedan’s Imrul Kayes had led Sheikh Jamal to the league title last season but this time he is hoping to remain in the top half of the table. The game would lose a bit of its lustre with Shakib Al Hasan and Mehedi Hasan Miraz unavailable for the Super League due to national team duty.
Leg-spinner Jake Lintott has been replaced by Sri Lankan Kamindu Mendis. Abahani will have their key players available and in form for the game. Along with Imrul, Mohammedan will be hoping experienced Mahmudullah Riyad takes charge of matters.
“Most of the teams will not have national team players available. So that problem doesn’t solely belong to us. We will face problems but other teams will have issues with combinations. I feel that those who are taken as backups are faring well.
“If we can start well, we will try to score big. If we can make a big score they will be under pressure. We want to play good cricket,” skipper Imrul told reporters yesterday.
Elsewhere, Sheikh Jamal will face Gazi Group and Mashrafe Bin Mortaza’s Legends of Rupganj will take on Prime Bank on Monday’s other fixtures in Fatullah and Savar respectively.
