Struggling Rangpur eyeing new start in BPL

With every match turning out to be a must-win game, Rangpur Rangers aims to have a fresh start in the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BBPL) in a bid to give them the last shot of making it to the play-off berth.

They will take on Sylhet Thunder tomorrow (Monday) at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium and are expected to win it, given the fact that the Sylhet are also a struggling team like them in this tournament.

Rangpur are languishing at the bottom of the table with two points from six games. Sylhet also has two points, which came in the seven matches, onematch more than Rangpur but by virtue of net-run-rate, Sylhet remains in the second to bottom position.

While a victory would revive Rangpur's hope, a defeat would effectively ruin Sylhet's any hope of making it play-off.

"We know we have to win every game if we want to make it play-off phase," Rangpur fast bowler Taskin Ahmed said here today.

'Every match is important for us and we have to play attacking cricket. Shane Watson is now with us. He has inspired us to play fearless cricket. We, the junior, should help him."

Rangpur has been in tumultuous situation right from the start of the tournament and changed captain so far three times with Watson being appointed as the new captain in the last match. He is expected to lead the side in the remaining matches of the side.

Mohammad Nabi was the captain for Rangpur for first four matches before Tom Abell replaced him as captain and led the side one match.

Taskin remained tightlipped on this issue, saying, "It's totally up to the management. They know well what they would do. Our task is to play our best cricket."

On personal front, Taskin has been going through a lean phase in the ongoing tournament as he couldn't take any wicket in the three matches he played. He subsequently was dropped and was not the part of the team in the last three matches.

"It's unfortunate that I didn't get the opportunity to play the last three matches. But it's part of the career. If I get the opportunity, I will try to give my best," he remarked.

"The matches that I had played, I didn't get any wicket but I want to forget that chapter. I am trying hard in the training and hopefully will come up with my best next time when I get the chance in the team," he expected.