Dhaka: Dhaka Dynamites are the current BPL champions, and will continue to hold the esteemed salutation for another year if their Tuesday evening goes as per plan.

Shakib Al Hasan's recent mini-sabbatical is a thing of the past, and he's come roaring back to lead his BPL side to another final.

His side - which finished second on the points table with seven wins in 12 games - will go up against a top-heavy batting unit that unleashes the troika of Brendon McCullum, Johnson Charles and Chris Gayle first up. But Shakib comes armed with a battalion of his own.

Shakib himself has led from the front with the ball in his hand - topping the wicket-takers' charts with 21 scalps to his name.

And despite the Rangpur Riders' batting might, it is Dhaka's Evin Lewis who sits atop the list of run-scorers, with 381 runs to his name.

Dhaka also had the advantage of extra few days of rest before the final after making a direct entry with a win on December 8. To make matters worse for their opponents, Rangpur had to play on a reserve day that wasn't in the BPL rule book but was agreed upon as a compromise by the two teams, before sealing their spot.

As far as freshness for the season finale is concerned, Dynamites might just want to believe that they hold the aces.

But, there's a flipside to it. Shakib and his teammates would've watched as Rangpur Riders flexed their batting muscle in two of the most crucial knockout fixture leading to the final. Against Khulna Titans in the Eliminator, Gayle whacked a 51-ball 126 - a thorough showcase of monstrous hitting that saw him smack 14 sixes.

Against Comilla Victorians in the second qualifier, Charles obliged for a three-figure score - hitting 105 off 63 balls.

Even as McCullum didn't match up with a hundred, he tonked nine sixes in his 46-ball 78. To say the form and fortunes of these three towering personalities will make or break the final would be a gross understatement.

And while that is true, Dhaka would be foolish to not take Rangpur's bowling line-up seriously.

A team led by Mashrafe Mortaza, Rangpur's bowling attack has also done reasonably well, but often flown under the radar owing to their superlative batting shows. Even in Monday's final spot-sealing victory, the bowlers were disciplined and snuffed out the attack from Comilla Victorians, after the latter had begun well in a steep chase.

Shakib and his men will know what they're up against, and will have quite a few notes to carry forward from their two league stage meetings. In the face of adversity - with both bat and ball - Shakib will hope he can fall back on the experienced T20 star Shahid Afridi, while also resting a lot of responsibility on the likes of Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard and Jos Buttler.

When: Dhaka Dynamites vs Rangpur Riders, Final, 5:30 PM IST, 6:00 PM Local

Where: Shere Bangla Stadium, Dhaka

What to expect: Partly cloudy skies and a temperature of 25 degrees will greet the two teams in the evening, reports Crickinfo.

Rangpur Riders

Fresh from a morale-boosting victory, Mortaza will steer clear of any thoughts of tinkering with team combinations.

Probable XI: Johnson Charles, Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Ravi Bopara, Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Mohammad Mithun, Nahidul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Nazmul Islam, Isuru Udana, Mohammad Gazi.

Dhaka Dynamites

Even if Dhaka opener Mehedi Maruf's poor form doesn't prompt a change at the top, Shakib will consider changing around his batting order - more so if his team are chasing a big total. Good thing for the allrounder is that he can turn to options like Afridi and Narine for that early blitz.

Probable XI: Mehedi Maruf, Evin Lewis, Joe Dealny, Kieron Pollard, Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Shahid Afridi, Mosaddek Hossain, Sunil Narine, Jahurul Islam, Abu Hider Rony, Saddam Hossain.