Image Credit: BPL
Ending all conjecture, Bangladesh’s two biggest stars, Tamim Iqbal and Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, have been selected for the eighth edition of the Bangladesh Premier League by Dhaka, a franchise owned by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
Rupa Fabrics Ltd and Marn Steel Ltd (Consortium) were awarded ownership of the Dhaka Division, however they were forced to withdraw at the last minute after failing to meet the BCB’s standards. BCB will manage Dhaka for the time being, according to BPL governing council secretary IH Mallick, and they will determine later whether to assume sponsorship or ownership of the squad.
While the ownership issue was a last-minute drama, the huge surprise was that two mainstays — Tamim Iqbal and Mashrafe Bin Mortaza — were not taken up as direct signings by any franchisees ahead of the Player Draft.
According to the BPL Governing Council’s guidelines, each side was allowed to sign one local player and three foreign players by direct signing, and Dhaka had previously signed Bangladesh T20 captain Mahmudullah, while Barishal had signed Shakib Al Hasan and Khulna had signed Mushfiqur Rahim.
https://twitter.com/BCBtigers/status/1475447412281937920?t=TIHiXySmmZyGZ7iLUVk3BQ&s=19
Cumilla has already signed Mustafizur Rahman, Chattogram has confirmed Nasum Ahmed’s service, and Sylhet has verified Taskin Ahmed’s service.
The tournament will be held at three different venues: Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Chattogram’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, and Sylhet’s International Cricket Stadium. The league stage will consist of 36 games, with the playoffs and final to follow.
- Dhaka
Direct Signing – Mahmudullah Riyad, Isuru Udana, Najibullah Zadran, Qais Ahmad
Draft Picks – T. Iqbal, R. Hossain, M. Mortaza, S. Hom, M. Shahzad, F. Farooqi, M. Naim, A. Sunny, Imranuzzaman, S. Islam, J. Islam, S. Rahman, E. Hossain
- Chattogram Challengers
Direct Signing – Nasum Ahmed, Benny Howell, Kennar Lewis, Will Jacks
Draft Picks – Shoriful Islam, A. Hossain, S. Hossain, M. Islam Mugdho, C. Walton, R. Emrit, R. Raja, S. Rahman, M. Chowdhury, M. Hasan Miraz, A. Ali, N. Islam
- Fortune Barishal
Direct Signing – Shakib Al Hasan, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Dhanush Gunathilaka, Chris Gayle
Draft Picks – N. Hasan Sohan, N. Hossain Shanto, M. Hasan Rana, F. Mahmud, O. McCoy, A.i Joseph, T. Hridoy, Z. Rahman, Shafiqul Islam, S. Ali, N. Dickwella, N. Hasan, T. Islam, S. Hossain, I. Sukkur
https://twitter.com/BCBtigers/status/1475447539520266242?t=mB1Xr546NudFbcyz0R3r3g&s=19
- Khulna Tigers
Direct Signing – Mushfiqur Rahim, Thisara Perera, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Naveen-ul-Haq
Draft Picks – Mahedi Hasan, S. Sarkar, K. Islam Rabbi, Yasir Ali, S. Prasanna, S. Raza, F. Reza, R. Talukdar, K. Ahmed, Jaker Ali, N. Samad
- Sylhet Sunrisers
Direct Signing– Taskin Ahmed, Dinesh Chandimal, Colin Ingram, Kesrick Williams
Draft Picks – M. Hossain, M. Mithun, Al-Amin Hossain, N. Islam Apu, R. Bopara, A. Perera, A. Haque Bijoy, S. Gazi, A. Kapali, Muktar Ali, S. Ahmed, M. Rahman, N. Chowdhury, J. Hossain Likhon, S. Hayat Ridoy, S. Islam
- Cumilla Victorians
Direct Signing– Mustafizur Rahman, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Sunil Narine
Draft Picks – L. Das, S. Islam, I. Kayes, T. Islam, K. Mendis, O. Thomas, A. Haque, Nahidul Islam, M. Hasan Joy, Sumon Khan, M. Haque, M. Islam Ankon, P. Hossain Emon, A. Hider Rony, M. Hasan Rana