DHAKA, Dec 13, 2019 (BSS)- Chattogram Challengers is determined to bounce
back in the winning-way after getting the boost of Mahmudullah Riyad who is
announced full fit to play the game.
Chattogram though won the first match against Sylhet Thunder by five
wickets, Khulna Tigers brought them down to the earth, inflicting an eight-
wicket defeat in the second match.
The side will take on Rangpur Rangers in their third game of the
tournament tomorrow at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. Rangpur
who was skittled out for 68 and conceded a huge 105-run defeat to Cumilla
Warriors in the first game would be enthusiastic to seal their first victory
in the tournament.
But, another defeat, however, would be problematic to keep them in the
hunt for last four spot. When the situation is such, Mahmudullah Riyad, the
regular skipper of the side, came up in the ground and attended a full-fledge
practice session with the team.
He was not available in the first two games of Challengers due to the
hamstring injury that he received during the second Test against India at
Kolkata.
“He has been allowed to take part in fitness Test and we have got the
official report [that he passed the fitness test],” Challengers manager Fahim
Muntasir said here today.
“He will be playing with us tomorrow. This is very good news for us. He is
hundred percent fit,” he added.
Mahmudullah was confirmed to have a grade-one hamstring injury and was
given a one-week rest after he suffered the injury on the second day of
Bangladesh’s day-night Test against India in Kolkata last month.
BCB chief physician Debashis Chowdhury said that they forbade Mahmudullah
to take any risk despite he had satisfactory improvement.
Muntasir further said they are not pressing any panic button yet despite
losing their first game in campaign and added that they are looking forward
to play one game at a time.
“We have obviously a plan to play the game one by one. Our next match is
against Rangpur. I hope, the last day was a bad day for us. We will be able
to come back well,” he remarked.
“The openers we have, we have faith on them. I hope they will do well,” he
said adding that it is challenging to bring the right combination.
“It is challenging to bring the right combination at very short time. The
last day was bad for us. We are changing a bit in our combination. So, we
hope for the best for tomorrow,” he concluded.