Dhaka: Mashrafe Bin Mortaza-led Rangpur Riders reached in Sylhet on Wednesday ahead of their campaign in the 5th Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20 starting at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium (SICS) on November 4.

R Riders will play defending runners-up Rajshahi Kings in an opening day's match, starting at 7 pm.

R Riders players are expected to start their practice sessions in Sylhet on Thursday under their Australian head coach Tom Moody.

Ravi Bopara, Samiullah Shenwari and Sam Hain have already joined the team among their listed 12 foreign players, including Jamaican hard hitter Chris Gayle. As per the laws of the tournament, five foreign players can be played in one game at a time.

Mashrafe is the most successful leader in the history of BPL as the Dhaka franchise clinched the tournament title twice (2012 & 2013) and Comilla Victorians tasted maiden title (2016) under his captaincy.

Defending champions Dhaka Dynamites will play against Surma Sixers Sylhet in the opener of the seven-team franchise tournament that will begin at 2pm.

Khulna Titans, Chittagong Vikings and Comilla Victorians are the three other teams are taking part in the 39 days long tournament, involving 46 matches.

SICS will host the first eight matches before the tournament move to the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium (SBNCS) in Dhaka for the next 16 battles. Then the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong will host the next 10 matches before the full tournament concentration fully move to SBNCS for the remaining 12 matches.

Rangpur Riders Squad: Mashrafe Mortaza, Mohammad Mithun, Rubel Hossain, Sohag Gazi, Shahriar Nafees, Nazmul Islam, Ziaur Rahman, Fazle Mahmud, Abdur Razzak, Ebadat Hossain, Elias Sunny, Nahidul Islam, Brendon McCullum, Ravi Bopara, David Willey, Adam Lyth, Johnson Charles, Chris Gayle, Samuel Badree, Thisara Perera, Kusal Perera, Sam Hain, Samiullah Shenwari and Zahir Khan.