BPL players' draft begins

The players' draft for the 11th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is underway at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.

The event, starting at 11:00am will be broadcast live on T Sports and streamed on the Bangladesh Cricket Board's social media platforms.

Out of 198 local players on the draft list, 18 have already been signed by the seven participating franchises. Star cricketers, including Litton Kumar Das, Mahmudullah Riyad, Shakib Al Hasan, and Tamim Iqbal, will be available for selection from Category 'A'.

A total of 12 players will receive the highest salaries in Category 'A', while Category 'F' includes 63 players with the lowest salaries. Category 'A' players can earn a maximum of 6 million BDT, Category 'B' players 4 million BDT, and Category 'C' players 2.5 million BDT, with decreasing salaries for Categories 'D', 'E', and 'F'.

For the first time, unsold Category 'A' players may be auctioned if they go unpicked.

Franchises have also received a list of 439 overseas players from the BPL Governing Council for selection.

New franchises Dhaka Capitals, Chittagong Kings, and Durbar Rajshahi have joined, while Cumilla Victorians are out.

The old franchises—Fortune Barisal, Sylhet Strikers, Khulna Tigers, and Rangpur Riders—have retained two players each. Chittagong has notably signed six foreign players, including Shakib Al Hasan and Shariful Islam.

The BPL is set to commence on December 27, with a minimum squad size of 12 players, including 10 locals and 2 overseas players.