Neesham, who was earlier confirmed to join a BPL side midway through the tournament, arrived in Bangladesh on Saturday. Having played in the BPL before, the New Zealand all-rounder is well familiar with local conditions.
Rajshahi will play two more matches in the Sylhet leg of the tournament, facing Rangpur Riders on January 11 and Dhaka Capitals on January 12. Neesham is expected to be available for both matches.
Although he was part of Fortune Barishal’s squad during the 2025 BPL and was set to feature in the final, the team eventually went with a different XI, leaving Neesham on the sidelines as Barishal went on to win the title. This time, however, he has joined the tournament much earlier.
Effective with both bat and ball, Neesham adds significant experience to a Rajshahi squad that already includes some quality overseas players.
![Ethan Brooks [L], James Neesham and Rahmanullah Gurbaz](https://cricfrenzy.com/public/storage/images/12-2025/cf_W8USulGT.jpg "Ethan Brooks [L], James Neesham and Rahmanullah Gurbaz")