Big Picture

One-sided contests have been synonymous with BPL finals, but this year promises to be different, with the title match pitting two of the strongest sides both on paper and on the field over the last four weeks - the Dhaka Dynamites and the Comilla Victorians. It's poised to be the battle of allrounders and spin attacks.

Both franchises have won the trophy previously, and with strong support bases, the Dynamites and the Victorians have made themselves the BPL's most celebrated and talked-about sides.

The Victorians have mostly banked on Evin Lewis, Tamim Iqbal and Thisara Perera with the bat although Shamsur Rahman's 210 runs at 136.36 have also helped the team's cause. His unbeaten 34 against Rangpur Riders helped them win the first qualifier.

Mohammad Saifuddin, Shahid Afridi and Mahedi Hasan have been vital cogs in the Victorians' bowling attack, aside from Wahab Riaz, who has taken 13 wickets but conceded 7.81 runs per over in nine matches. They would also expect a little more impact from Perera, the bowler.

The Dynamites, meanwhile, have heavily relied on Shakib Al Hasan, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine although Kieron Pollard remains a worry for all opponents, especially in the finals of T20 tournaments. Rubel Hossain's 21 wickets, including two four-wicket hauls, has also been a stand-out contribution, as has been Nurul Hasan's work behind the stumps and, in difficult situations, with the bat.

The make-up of both sides promises a contest that is likely to go down to the last over. But to get there, a lot will depend on which set of cricketers holds its nerve longer.

Form guide

Dhaka Dynamites: WWWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Comilla Victorians: WLWWW

In the spotlight

The Dynamites are unlikely to tinker with their line-up much as they have preferred, among their overseas players, to play three allrounders and a top-order batsman.

Dhaka Dynamites (probable): 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Rony Talukdar, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Nurul Hasan (wk), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Shuvagata Hom, 9 Mahmudul Hasan, 10 Qazi Onik, 11 Rubel Hossain

The Victorians could include Liam Dawson in place of Wahab Riaz, besides replacing Sanjit Saha with Abu Hider.

Comilla Victorians (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Anamul Haque (wk), 4 Shamsur Rahman, 5 Imrul Kayes (capt), 6 Thisara Perera, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Mohammad Saifuddin, 9 Mahedi Hasan, 10 Liam Dawson/ Wahab Riaz, 11 Sanjit Saha/Abu Hider

Pitch and conditions

In the ten night games in Mirpur during this season's BPL, only four teams have won batting first. Sides have averaged 154 in night games, although those who have won batting first have had to average around 165.

Stats and trivia

• Dynamites have made it to their third BPL final in a row. They won the tournament in 2016, but were beaten by the Rangpur Riders in last edition's final.

• Victorians beat Dynamites in both league matches this season, and have won five out of nine games overall in contests between the two sides.

• None of the batsmen from either side will threaten Rilee Rossouw's position as the tournament's top scorer. Tamim Iqbal is behind by 232 runs while Shakib Al Hasan is 260 runs away.

Quotes

"Success would invariably go to the team that keeps their cool and play according to their plan. Being too excited doesn't really help. We have to enjoy the occasion, but not be too excited. We have discussed this in the team meetings too."
Comilla Victorians captain Imrul Kayes