||Desk Report||
After retaining the big names like Mashrafe Moratza and Chris Gayle, Rangpur Riders have now roped in former South Africa cricketer AB de Villiers for the upcoming edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
The hard-hitting batsman is Rangpur’s second signing from outside the draft as they have already included England opening batsman Alex Hales in the squad. With Gayle, Hales, and de Villiers in the squad, the Rangpur-based franchise will not have to worry about their top-order ahead of the competition.
The players’ draft for the sixth season of BPL will be held on Sunday (October 28) with a total of 186 local players and 365 foreign cricketers up for grabs for the seven participating sides.
Each team can take a maximum of 12 local cricketers and nine overseas players and four of the non-nationals will be allowed to be named in the playing eleven for every side.
The franchises were given the opportunity to retain up to four players from their last season’s squads. They were allowed to sign two players from outside the draft. Each of the teams have confirmed the names of the six players they were authorized to recruit.
The sixth edition of the BPL will start take place between January 5 and February 8 next year.
BPL squads before the players’ draft
Rangpur Riders: Chris Gayle, Mashrafe Mortaza, Nazmul Islam, Mohammad Mithun, AB de Villiers, Alex Hales
Dhaka Dynamites: Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Rovman Powell, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Hazratullah Zazai
Comilla Victorians: Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mohammad Saifuddin, Shoaib Malik, Asela Gunaratne, Liam Dawson
Sylhet Sixers: Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Liton Das, Sohail Tanvir, David Warner, Sandeep Lamichhane
Khulna Titans: Mahmudullah Riyad, Ariful Haque, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Carlos Brathwaite, Dawid Malan, Ali Khan
Rajshahi Kings: Mominul Haque, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Zakir Hasan, Qais Ahmed, Christiaan Jonker
Chittagong Vikings: Sikandar Raza, Luke Ronchi, Najibullah Zadran, Sunzamul Islam, Mohammad Shahzad, Robbie Frylinck