The 11th edition Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is already creating a buzz. On Monday, the much-anticipated BPL Player Draft took place. This year's tournament is set to kick off in the final week of December, and Mondays player transfers mark the beginning of the official proceedings. The draft event was held at a five-star hotel in the capital and was filled with surprises. Notably, star player Rishad Hossain remained unselected for a significant period.
Conversely, players like Sabbir Rahman, Shafiul Islam, and Marshall Ayub, who have been out of the limelight for some time, are getting another chance to play in the BPL. Fortune Barishal will feature four national team captains, along with several national players and strong foreign recruits led by Tamim Iqbal. The newly introduced Durbar Rajshahi did not manage to make a significant impact, while Dhaka showed some surprises with Litton Das and Pakistan’s Saim Ayub in their squad.
Chittagong Kings, who had been making headlines with surprises before the draft, somewhat disappointed their fans by not pursuing any big names. Sylhet has secured experienced players like Mashrafe Mortaza, Arafat Sunny, and Al-Amin. Khulna has focused on a blend of experience and youth.
Among the foreign recruits, Sylhet secured Afghanistan's Samiullah Shinwari. Barishal opted for English County cricketer James Fuller and Sri Lankan international Pathum Nissanka, whereas Rangpur brought in Ireland's Curtis Campher.
Here is a quick look at the player transfers from the draft:
Fortune Barishal
• Domestic: Mahmudullah, Tanvir Islam, Nazmul Hossain, Ripon Mondol, Ebadot Hossain, Nayeem Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Taijul Islam, Shahidul Islam, Ariful Islam
• Foreign: James Fuller, Pathum Nissanka, Nandre Burger
• Pre-draft: Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Towhid Hridoy, Faheem Ashraf, Dawid Malan, Kyle Mayers, Mohammad Nabi
Durbar Rajshahi
• Domestic: Taskin Ahmed, Zishan Alam, Yasir Ali, Sabbir Hossain, Sanjamul Islam, SM Meherob Hossain, Akbar Ali, Hasan Murad, Shafiul Islam, Mohor Sheikh
• Foreign: Saad Nasim, Lahiru Samarakoon
• Pre-draft: Anamul Haque Bijoy
Dhaka Capitals
• Domestic: Liton Das, Habibur Rahman, Mukidul Islam, Abu Jayed, Sabbir Rahman, Munim Shahriar, Asif Hasan, Shahadat Hossain
• Foreign: Saim Ayub, Amir Hamza
• Pre-draft: Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Stephen Eskinazi, Thisara Perera, Johnson Charles, Amir Hamza, Shahnawaz Dahani
Chittagong Kings
• Domestic: Shamim Hossain, Parvez Hossain, Khaled Ahmed, Alis Al Islam, Mohammad Mithun, Nayeem Islam, Maruf Mridha, Rahatul Ferdous, Sheikh Parvez, Marshall Ayub
• Foreign: Graham Clark, Thomas O'Connell
• Pre-draft: Shakib Al Hasan, Shariful Islam, Moeen Ali, Usman Khan, Haider Ali, Angelo Mathews, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Binura Fernando
Rangpur Riders
• Domestic: Nahid Rana, Saif Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Rakibul Hasan, Rejaur Rahman, Irfan Sukkur, Kamrul Islam, Toufiq Khan
• Foreign: Akif Javed, Curtis Campher
• Pre-draft: Nurul Hasan Sohan, Sheikh Mehedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Alex Hales, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah
Sylhet Strikers
• Domestic: Rony Talukdar, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Al Amin Hossain, Arafat Sunny, Ruel Mia, Ariful Haque, Nihaduzzaman, Nahidul Islam
• Foreign: Rahkeem Cornwall, Samiullah Shenwari, Reece Topley
• Pre-draft: Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Zakir Hasan, George Munsey, Paul Stirling
Khulna Tigers
• Domestic: Hasan Mahmud, Mohammad Naim, Imrul Kayes, Mahidul Islam, Abu Hider, Ziaur Rahman, Mahfuzur Rahman, Mahmudul Hasan
• Foreign: Mohammad Hasnain, Lewis Gregory
• Pre-draft: Nasum Ahmed, Afif Hossain, Mehedi Hasan Miraz
