The team that had previously won eight consecutive matches before the break has now lost two matches in a row following a six-day pause.
Rangpur Riders remain at the top of the points table and have already secured their spot in the first qualifier well ahead of time. At this stage, they were expected to play their remaining matches in the group stage without much pressure. However, consecutive defeats have introduced some concerns. According to coach Mickey Arthur, the team has lost some of its momentum during the break, and he is eager to see them back in rhythm before the crucial knockout stages.
On January 17, Rangpur Riders defeated Chittagong Kings in Chattogram, securing their eighth win in as many matches. The team had established itself as a standout contender, even defeating a similarly strong side, Fortune Barishal, twice.
Their next game came six days later on January 23. During the gap, the team returned to Rangpur to spend time with fans, celebrating their recent Global T20 trophy victory in Guyana.
However, Rangpur’s return to the field didn’t go as planned. In their first match after the break, they suffered a shocking defeat against the struggling Durbar Rajshahi. At the time, the loss was dismissed as a mere upset, with the team jokingly posting on social media about being “tripped up by a rotten snail shell.” But in their very next match, Rajshahi dealt them another blow, this time defeating a Rangpur lineup featuring all local stars.
These back-to-back losses have clearly affected Mickey Arthur. Speaking to the media after Tuesday’s practice session in Mirpur, the coach emphasized the importance of regaining lost momentum ahead of the tournament’s decisive phase.
“I think we’ve lost some of our momentum,” said Arthur. “We played really good cricket over eight consecutive matches. Then we had a six-day break, and after that, we just lost our rhythm. If someone can reignite that spark, everything will fall into place. But we need to find it quickly, especially before next week’s main phase of the tournament.”
He added, “We just need to get back to winning ways. A good performance tomorrow should set us back on track.”
In their last match against Rajshahi, Rangpur failed to chase down a modest target of 120 in Mirpur. Most of their batters were dismissed trying to hit big shots, and although Mohammad Saifuddin’s late resistance made things interesting, the team had already lost 7 wickets for just 49 runs.
Arthur believes that his players’ over-reliance on aggressive strokes has cost them dearly. In Tuesday’s practice session, he urged the batters to focus on proper cricketing shots.
“We’ve been working hard in practice. The players have been focusing on executing proper cricket shots during net sessions. I think we’ve been too caught up in modern cricket’s demands, and the shots that got us out in the last match were far from ideal,” said Arthur.
“We’ve talked about it, and I have full faith in every player on this team. I’ve seen them perform, even in the challenging conditions in Guyana during the Global T20. I know what they’re capable of,” he added.
