Mohammad Naim becomes most expensive player in BPL Auction

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) player auction made a dramatic comeback on Sunday, November 30, marking the first time since the league’s debut edition in 2012. After nine seasons of following a draft system, the auction returned with big surprises, intense bidding battles and unexpected bargains for franchises. The upcoming BPL season will consist of six teams and will run from December 26 to January 23. Let’s see how Mohammad Naim becomes the most expensive player.

Naim becomes the only player to cross the BDT 1 Crore Mark

Mohammad Naim emerged as the biggest headliner of the event, becoming the only player to raise more than BDT 1 crore (approximately US$88,000). Chittagong Royals secured the left-handed batsman after a competitive round of bidding.

Interestingly, the auction started an hour late as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) was waiting for permission from the Supreme Court. Several players had filed a petition after being excluded from the auction due to allegations related to fixes.

Hridoy and Litton are among the top signings; Veterans don’t get early bids

Rangpur Riders made two of the most expensive purchases of the day, buying Towhid Hridoy for $73,600 and Litton Das for $56,000. However, veteran stars Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah, both included in Category B, were surprisingly left without initial bids despite their seniority.

At the request of Rangpur Riders CEO and BCB director Ishtiaque Sadeque, both players were later reintroduced. Mahmudullah went to Rangpur Riders, while Rajshahi Warriors picked up Mushfiqur, both at the base price of BDT 35 lakh (approximately US$28,000).

Unlimited talents cause bidding wars

Several uncapped players have stolen the spotlight:

• Habibur Rahman Sohan was signed by Noakhali Express for $40,000 after his impressive performance in the Asia Cup Rising Stars.
• Mohammad Mithun sparked a fierce bidding contest, rising from Tk 22 lakh to Tk 52 lakh.
• Young all-rounder Abdul Gaffar Saqlain saw his price rise from Tk 18 lakh to Tk 44 lakh.
• SM Meherob Hasan was also a notable pick-up at Tk 39 lakh.

Also read: Why does Virat Kohli reject BCCI’s domestic cricket demand?

Dasun Shanaka becomes the most expensive signing abroad

Despite several international players remaining unsold, Sri Lankan all-rounder Dasun Shanaka caught the eye. Dhaka Capitals insured him for US$55,000, making him the most expensive foreign cricketer at the auction.

Noakhali Express gains advantage amid confusion over rules

A major topic of discussion during the auction was the confusion over category-based selection rules. Each team must choose:

• At least two players from classes A and B together
• Maximum six players from classes C and D
• Maximum three players from classes E and F
• Minimum 12 players, with the option to expand to 14 local players

A misinterpretation occurred when Chattogram Royals selected two players from the A/B category consecutively. Rajshahi Warriors head coach Hannan Sarkar argued that Chattogram was no longer eligible to bid for players from these categories. The auction room accepted this interpretation, even though the statutes allowed teams to select more A/B players.

Due to this confusion, Mahidul Islam and Jaker Ali were picked up at their base price by Noakhali Express, while other teams refrained from bidding under the mistaken belief that they had exhausted their options in the A/B category.

Franchises are responding to the auction chaos

Noakhali Express head coach Khaled Mahmud expressed his joy:

“I’m happy that I can get those two cricketers for the base price because I didn’t expect it.”

Rangpur Riders director Shanian Taneem defended Mahmudullah’s initial lack of bids:

“It is not right to say that Mahmudullah was left unsold. Every team had limitations. With limitations in the A and B categories, we had to strategize. But a player of his caliber is always in our plans.”

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