Dhaka: The seven franchise-Bangladesh Premier League 2016 will kick off at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) in Mirpur on Friday. 

Defending champion Comilla Victorians will take on Rajshahi Kings in the opening match of the 4th edition of the lucrative T20 competition, beginning at 2:30pm while Rangpur Riders face Khulna Titans in another opening day match scheduled to begin at 7:15 pm. 

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza once again is going to continue his captaincy to defend the title for Comilla Victorians with his well-rounded force having Imrul Kayes, Liton Kumar Das, Ashar Zaidi and Nuwan Kulasekara in his side that played for the last edition title. 

In addition of Imad Wasim, Sohail Tanvir, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Saifuddin and Nabil Samad strengthen their squad.

As captain Mashrafe is the most successful in the country’s popular cricketing event, as he led all the three previous title winners. He captained Dhaka Gladiators (Dhaka Dynamites) in the first two editions for the two successive titles, before Comilla Victorians in the last edition. 

“Fourth time, I don’t want to think so far before starting the tournament,” Mashrafe said to press on the eve of the beginning of the tournament during the couple of hours practice session at BCB Academy Ground on Thursday. 

“We have to try to play good cricket from the beginning, the first match is very important. If we can get a good start, the next matches will be easier to play,” Mashrafe added. 

The other participating teams in this edition are Dhaka Dynamites, Chittagong Vikings and Barisal Bulls. 

All seven teams had two hours practice sessions at Bangladesh Cricket Board Academy ground on Thursday. 

Two matches will be played in a match day while a total of 46 matches will be held at two venues, of which 36 matches will be held at SBNCS and the rest 10 matches at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong.

Ticketing

The ticket prices valued in seven categories: Tk 2000 each for Grand Stand. Tk 500 each for VIP Stand, Shaheed Mushtaque Stand and Shaheed Jewel Stand. Tk 300 each for Northern Stand and Southern Stand. Tk 200 each Eastern Stand.

Tickets will be available online via www.shohoz.com, www.paypoint.com.bd and www.gadgetbangla.com, besides at match venue before the match.

However, 95% of the Friday’s tickets have been sold out ahead of the match day, confirmed Ismail Haider Mallik, Member Secretary of the BPL Committee in a press conference in Mirpur on Thursday. 

After completing the league stage, top four teams will battle for the title. 

Team's squads for BPL 4th edition: 

Comilla Victorians: Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (Icon), Liton Kumar Das, Imrul Kayes, Sohel Tanvir, Ashar Zaidi, Emad Wasim, Nuan Kulasekara, Khalid Latif, Tesara Perera, Shahzib Hasan, Najmul Islam Shanto, Mohammad Al-Amin, Md Saifuddin, Nahidul Islam, Jeson Holder, Nazmul Hasan Shanto, Shahzaib Hasan, Nabil Samad, Mohammad Sharif, Jasim Uddin, Rasel Al Mamun, Shoikat Ali, Jeson Holder. 

Khulna Titans: Mahmudullah Riyad (Icon), Shafiul Islam, Mosharrof Rubel, Nicholas Pooran (WI U-19), Kevon Cooper (WI), Riki Wessels (ENG), Mohammad Asgar (PAK A team), Lendl Simmons (WI),Benny Howell (ENG), Ben Laughlin (AUS), Ariful Haque (Local), Shuvagoto Hom, Md Abdul Majid (BCB XI), Saidur Rahman (Local), Alok Kapali, Andre Fletcher (WI), Junaid Khan (PAK), Md Hasanuzzaman (Local), Ariful Haque (Local), Nur Hossain Saddam (LOcal), Naeem Islam jr. and Abdul Halim (local). 

Rangpur Raiders: Soumya Sarkar (Icon), Arafat Sunny, Mohammad Mithun, Sharjeel Khan (PAK),Shahid Afridi (PAK), Mohammad Shahzad (AFG), Babar Azam (PAK), Dasun Shanaka (SRI), Richard Gleeson (ENG), Gidron Pope (WI), Nasir Jamshed (PAK), Rubel Hossain, Sachithra Senanayake (SRI), Sohag Gazi, Naeem Islam, Ziaur Rahman, Pinak Ghosh (BAN U-19), Mehrab Hossain Jossy (Local), Mukhtar Ali, Shahbaz Chouhan (Local) and Gihan Rupasinghe (SRI). 

Rajshahi Kings: Sabbir Rahman (Icon), Mehedi Hasan Miraj (U-19 Captain), Nurul Hasan Sohan, Darren Summy (WI), Milinda Siriwardana (SRI), Mohammad Sami (PAK), Upul Tharanga (SRI), Farhad Reza, Ibadat Hossain, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hasan opu (Local), Samit Patel (ENG), Raqibul Hasan, Abul Hasan, Salman Hossain (local) and Roni Talukdar. 

Chittagong Vikings: Tamim Iqbal (Icon), Anamul Haque Bijoy, Taskin Ahmed, Chris Gayle (WI),Shoaib Malik (PAK), Dwayne Smith (WI), Chaturanga de Silva (SRI), Grant Elliot (NZ), Mohammad Nabi (AFG), Imran Khan Jr (PAK), Subashis Roy, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Abdur Razzak, Jahirul Islam, Jeavan Mendis (SRI), Nazmul Hossain Milon (Local), Tymal Mills, Md Shohidul Islam (Local), Zakir Hasan and Jubair Hossain. 

Barishal Bulls: Mushfiqur Rahim (Icon), Taijul Islam, Al-Amin Hossain, Dilshan Munabera (SRI), Carlos Brathwaite (WI), Mohammad Nawaz (PAK A team), Monir Hossain Khan (local), Shamsur Rahmam, Kamrul Islam Rabbi (A team), Abu Haider Rony, Nadeef Chowdhury, Josh Cobb, Carlon Brathwaite, Mehedi Hasan and Shahriar Nafees. 

Dhaka Dynamites: Shakib Al Hasan (Icon), Nasir Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Kumar Sangakkara,Mahela Jawabardane, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo, Rovi Bopara, Evin Lewis, Seekkuge Prasanna (SRI), Sanjamul Islam, Wayne Parnell (RSA), Alauddin Babu (BAN A team), Mehedi Maruf, Suhrawadi Shuvo, Mohammad Sharif, Tanveer Haider Khan, Imran Shukkur (Local), Usama Mir (PAK)