All-rounders hold the key for Rajshahi Royals in BPL: Owais Shah

Former English cricketer Owais Shah believes Rajshahi Royals can do well in the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) starting from December 11, if their all-rounders come up with expected efforts.

The 41-year-old former cricketer is all set to coach the Royals in BPL which will be his first coaching stint in Bangladesh. Shah is confident to go all the way in the most prestigious domestic cricket event in Bangladesh.

"I am satisfied with the squad I have. We are confident to go all the way in the event. If our all-rounders come up with their best efforts, we can expect a good result because the all-rounders are key in T20 cricket," Shah told the media during their first practice session on Monday at the Academy ground in Mirpur.

"We got two explosive batsmen at the top of the order in the forms of Liton Das and Hazratullah Zazai. At the same time, we have got Ravi Bopara and Andre Russell in our armoury as well. I think we got a balanced side. Now, let's see how we can come together in the next two-three days," he added.

Shah believes the wickets of BPL will be more friendly to the batsmen, and he is expecting an event dominated by the batsmen. At the same time, the former Englishman hopes the local players should come up to bring good results for all of the teams participating in BPL.

A total of seven teams will be fighting for the title of BPL. Apart from the Royals, the other teams are- Dhaka Platoon, Comilla Warriors, Chattogram Challengers, Khulna Tigers, Rangpur Rangers and Sylhet Thunder.

A total of 46 matches will be played at three different venues in Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet. Along with the final, all four matches of the playoff rounds will be played in Dhaka.