Bangladesh senior players Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal are poised to don new jerseys in the upcoming edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), with the auction scheduled for Sunday, September 24th. Shakib is set to make a return to the Rangpur Riders, opting to part ways with the Fortune Barisal franchise. In his stead, fellow veteran Tamim Iqbal will be making the transition from the Khulna Tigers.
In a star-studded event, the likes of Rashid Khan, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Babar Azam, prominent international superstars, are among the 443 overseas players who will be up for grabs in the auction. The BPL governing council has included 203 local players in the player draft for the upcoming season, categorizing them into six groups. In the A category, the standout player is Mushfiqur Rahim, with a valuation of BDT 80 lakhs.
The B category consists of four cricketers with a base price of BDT 50 lakhs, followed by 18 players in the C category, valued at BDT 30 lakhs. The D category comprises 31 cricketers with a price tag of BDT 20 lakhs, while the E category includes 75 players with a base price of BDT 15 lakhs. The F category has 29 players with a valuation of BDT 10 lakhs, and the G category features 45 cricketers with a base price of BDT 5 lakhs.
Soumya Sarkar is in the D category, despite being considered a potential candidate for the upcoming World Cup. He has also secured a spot in the Bangladesh ODI squad for the ongoing home series against New Zealand and featured in the playing XI for the rain-affected series opener.
Former Bangladesh all-rounder Nasir Hossain, who led the Dhaka franchise in the previous season, will not be part of the domestic player draft. Earlier this week, he was one of eight individuals charged with corruption by the ICC during the Abu Dhabi T10 League. Given the ongoing investigation, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has chosen not to include him in the draft.
