The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) has received a boost with several well-known cricketers joining the tournament after their teams were knocked out of the International League T20 (ILT20) in the UAE. James Vince, Tim David, and Shimron Hetmyer arrived from Gulf Giants, while Andre Russell and Jason Holder came from Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.
These players immediately took part in Monday’s BPL eliminator match. Rangpur Riders added Vince, David, and Russell to their squad, while Khulna Tigers welcomed Hetmyer and Holder.
Additionally, Kyle Mayers is expected to return to Fortune Barishal after finishing his ILT20 stint. He had initially played five matches for Barishal before moving to ILT20, where he participated in ten games.
The arrival of these international stars is a positive sign for the BPL, especially as the tournament has faced controversies, including corruption allegations and salary payment disputes. However, this situation also highlights how T20 players frequently switch leagues if their teams get eliminated early.
For example, Vince has already played in Australia’s Big Bash League, then ILT20, and now BPL all in a short period.
Despite the excitement, the new additions did not have the best start in the BPL eliminator. Vince was involved in a mix-up with Soumya Sarkar, leading to Sarkar’s run-out, and was later dismissed for just one run. David and Russell also struggled, scoring seven and four runs, respectively.
This season, BPL has not seen many top-tier international players. While stars like Alex Hales and Shaheen Afridi played early on, others like Jason Roy and Reece Topley only made brief appearances. There has been criticism that the tournament includes many lesser-known or past-prime overseas cricketers.
Still, the arrival of these big names adds excitement to the BPL playoffs, giving fans something to look forward to as the tournament progresses.
Updated on 04 February, 2025 by MyFortune11 Team.