BPL players draft ends, teams are ready for show

The Players draft of the 6th edition of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20 2018-19 was held on October 28 (Sunday) at Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden starting from 12 pm. The player draft was telecast live on the official Facebook page of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), source BCB.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Nazmul Hassan MP, BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury, Secretary of BPL Governing Council Ismail Haider Mallick, Chairman of Media and Communication Committee Mohammed Jalal Yunus, BCB Director Md. Akram Khan, A.M. Naimur Rahman Durjoy MP, Mahbubul Alam, Lokman Hossain Bhuyian and Tanjil Chowdhury was present at the ceremony.

The draft included 165 Local and 365 Foreign players across 17 countries. Mushfiqur Rahim was earlier named in the only player in A+ category who was roped in by Chittagong Vikings just before start of the draft ceremony.

Among the other local stars, Rajshahi Kings have signed Soumya Sarkar, Dhaka Dynamites signed Rubel Hossain, Chittagong Vikings signed Mohammad Ashraful, Sylhet Sixers signed Taskin Ahmed, Comilla Victorians signed Abu Hider and defending champion Rangpur Riders signed all-rounder Farhad Reza.

There were some big signings from the foreign players as well. Rangpur Riders re-signed all-rounder Ravi Bopara who played for them in the last season. Rangpur also signed South African explosive batsman Rille Russow. Dhaka Dynamites signed English batsman Ian Bell. Khuna Titans opted for the experienced Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga. Comilla Victorians signed big-hitter Evin Lewis, all-rounder Shahid Afridid and Thisara Perera. Rajshahi Kings signed experienced all-rounder Ryen Ten Doeschate from the draft.

Icon players of the teams are as followed :
Rangpur Riders : Mashrafe Bin Mortaza
Dhaka Dynamites : Shakib Al Hasan
Khuna Titans : Mahmudullah Ryad
Comilla Victorians : Tamim Iqbal
Rajshahi Kings : Mustafizur Rahman
Sylhet Sixers : Nasir Hossain
Chittagong Vikings : Mushfiqur Rahim

Following are the complete players list of the respective teams after the draft :

Rangpur Riders
Retained : Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Nazmul Islam, Mohammad Mithun, Chris Gayle (WI)
Direct signing : AB de Villiers (SA), Alex Hales (ENG)
Signed from the draft : Shafiul Islam, Shohag Gazi, Farhad Reza, Mehedi Maruf, Ravi Bopara (ENG), Rilee Rossouw (SA), Nahidul Islam, Nadif Chowdhury, Abul Hasan, Fardin Hossain, Benny Howell (ENG), Osane Thomas (WI)

Dhaka Dynamites
Retained : Shakib al Hasan, Sunil Narine (WI), Rovman Powell (WI), Kieron Pollard (WI)
Direct signing : Andre Russell (WI), Hazratullah Zazai (AFG)
Signed from the draft : Rubel Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Rony Talukdar, Shuvagata Hom, Andrew Birch (SA), Ian Bell (ENG), Qazi Anik, Mizanur Rahman, Asif Hasan, Shahadat Hossain, Naim Sheikh.

Khulna Titans
Retained : Mahmudullah, Ariful Haque, Nazmul Hossain, Carlos Brathwaite (WI)
Direct signing : David Malan (ENG), Ali Khan (USA)
Signed from the draft : Jahurul Islam, Shoriful Islam, Taijul Islam, Al Amin, Zahir Khan (AFG), Sherfane Rutherford (WI), Subashis Roy, Junaid Siddique, Tanvir Islam, Mahidul Islam, Lasith Malinga (SL), Yasir Shah (PAK) Brendan Taylor (ZIM)

Comilla Victorians
Retained : Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mohammad Saifuddin, Shoaib Malik (PAK)
Direct signing : Liam Dawson (ENG), Asela Gunaratne (SL)
Signed from the draft : Abu Hider Rony, Anamul Haque, Mahedi Hasan, Ziaur Rahman, Shahid Afridi (PAK), Thisara Perera (SL), Mosharraf Hossain, Mohammad Shahid, Shamsur Rahman, Sanjit Saha, Evin Lewis (WI), Waqar Salmakheil (AFG), Amer Yamin (PAK)

Rajshahi Kings
Retained : Mominul Haque, Mehedi Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Zakir Hasan
Direct signing : Christiaan Jonker (SA), Qais Ahmad (AFG)
Signed from the draft : Soumya Sarkar, Fazle Rabbi, Arafat Sunny, Alauddin Babu, Isuru Udana (SL), Laurie Evans (ENG), Marshall Ayub, Kamrul Islam, Ryan Ten Doeschate (NL), Sekkuge Prasanna (SL), Mohammad Sami (PAK)

Sylhet Sixers
Retained : Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Sohail Tanvir (PAK), Liton Das
Direct signing :  David Warner (AUS), Sandeep Lamichhane (NEP)
Signed from the draft : Afif Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Al-amin Hossain, Tawhid Hridoy, Fabian Allen (WI), Mohammad Irfan (PAK), Nabil Samad, Ebadat Hossain, Alok Kapali, Zakir Ali Anik, Gulbadin Naib (AFG), Andre Fletcher (WI), Mehedi Hasan Rana, Pat Brown (ENG), Nicholas Pooran (WI)

Chittagong Vikings
Retained : Luke Ronchi (NZ), Mushfiqur Rahim, Sanjamul Islam, Sikandar Raza (ZIM)
Direct signing :  Mohammad Shahzad (AFG), Robert Frylinck (SA)
Signed from the draft : Mosaddek Hossain, Abu Jayed Rahi, Khaled Ahmed, Nayeem Hasan, Cameron Delport (SA), Dasun Shanaka (SL), Mohammad Ashraful, Rabiul Haque, Yasir Ali, Nihaduzzaman, Nazibullah Zadran (AFG), Salman Islam.