As the Rangpur Riders have qualified for back-to-back finals of the Global Super League T20, they are all set to face the hosts, the dangerous Guyana Amazon Warriors. So far, the two teams faced each other twice, once in 2024 and once in 2025. Rangpur Riders won on both occasions. Both of the matches were group stage games, and on both occasions, the winning captain was Nurul Hasan Sohan, and the Guyana captain was the vastly experienced Imran Tahir. With almost the same set-up likely to face off in the final, it might seem that Rangpur are on the verge of yet another victory, but this time around, that might not be easy.
In the Global Super League T20 2025 so far, the Rangpur Riders have won 3 out of 4 games, with one game washed out by rain. Following the team’s consecutive final qualifications, Rangpur Riders have already rewarded their players with ten thousand US dollars. The Guyana Amazon Warriors lost their season opener against Rangpur, but they have been a different side since then.
With Saif Hassan and Soumya Sarker opening, one of them is likely to stand out to score the runs in powerplay, although Soumya has been on and off in the tournament so far. 35, 5, 36, 0 are his scores in this edition so far, but Kyle Mayers is the man who has been the most impactful with the bat for the Rangpur Riders this time around so far. In 3 games, he has scored 130 runs, getting out just once, with a brilliant strike rate of 154.76. Mayers is also currently the highest run-scorer of the tournament.
For Guyana Amazon Warriors, this role has been played by Moeen Ali, another left-handed batting all-rounder. In 4 matches, he scored 103 runs with an average of 34.33 and a strike rate of 103.00. The middle order brilliance of captain Nurul Hasan Sohan, youngster Mahidul Islam Ankon, and the big-hitter from Pakistan, Iftikhar Ahmed might come very useful for Rangpur Riders in the final, as they all have played their roles on several occasions this season. However, the powerhouse of the Guyana middle order can be Shimron Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford, the two Caribbean hitters. In his last game against the Hobart Hurricanes XI, Hetmyer hit 5 sixes in an over, scoring 39 from just 10 deliveries. He can very well be the difference-maker in the final for the Guyana Amazon Warriors, given that he is very familiar with such conditions.
They say batters win you matches, but bowlers win you tournaments. To win this particular one, bowling will be crucial, and it will be a very difficult job to keep the big man Imran Tahit quiet, preventing him from taking wickets at regular intervals and running in jubilation – which he typically does. In the Global Super League 2025, Imran Tahir has been the highest wicket-taker with 12 to his name. He picked up consecutive 4-fers against Central Stags and Dubai Capitals. Another bowler playing in the final who picked up consecutive 4-fers in this edition is Rangpur Riders’ Khaled Ahmed. With 10 wickets in his collection from this season, he is the second-highest wicket-taker of the tournament right now, and it would not be a matter of surprise if he overtakes Imran Tahir to take the top spot after the final. Imran Tahir’s googlies with pace even at the age of 46, his wicket-to-wicket deliveries and the occasional flippers still makes him difficult to face. On the other hand, Khaled Ahmed has been using the slowness of the pitch to bowl his cutters, varying the pace, and making life difficult for the batters.
Apart from the batting and bowling, Rangpur Riders count on their captain, Nurul Hasan Sohan for his brilliant bowling changes and man-management for bringing the trophy again. The Zimbabwe legend and one of the commentators in the GSL T20 2025, Andy Flower said, “Behind the stumps, Rangpur’s role model is captain Nurul. He is full of energy. Having a leader like him in your team is very important.” Imran Tahir, the other captain brings a lot on the table apart from just googlies and flippers – his vast experience. He has been successful with the Guyana Amazon Warriors on previous occasions, and he wouldn’t want to miss out on another title.