The cricketing world is buzzing with anticipation as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) grapples with the decision of whether to release their players for the entire duration of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024), the world’s premier franchise-based T20 tournament.
In the upcoming IPL 2024 auction on December 19, three Bangladeshi pacers—Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, and Shoriful Islam—are set to be in the spotlight. However, the fate of their participation remains uncertain as the BCB weighs national interests and the management of key players ahead of the World T20.
Mustafizur has set a base price of INR 2 Crore, while Taskin and Shoriful are bracketed at INR 75 Lakh and INR 50 Lakh, respectively. The dilemma lies in whether these players will attract franchise attention, considering the BCB’s reluctance to release them for the entire IPL 2024 season.
IPL 2024 to overlap with Bangladesh series
The IPL 2024 is slated to begin on March 24, overlapping with Bangladesh’s series against Sri Lanka in March and their engagements against Zimbabwe in April and May. The BCB, wary of the national team’s commitments and the impending World T20 in June, is cautious about the players’ injury management and well-being.
Jalal Yunus, BCB’s cricket operation chairman, highlighted the potential conflict, stating, “If the IPL conflicts with our national team, in that case, their chances are very slim to play the full tournament.”
Taskin Ahmed, in particular, may find himself in an unfortunate position, having missed a previous IPL opportunity in 2022 when the BCB did not release him, despite an offer from Lucknow Super Giants. The BCB’s history of denying NOCs, as seen with Taskin’s stint in the English County last season, adds complexity to the players’ IPL aspirations.
As the cricketing community awaits the BCB’s decision, the uncertainty over Bangladesh players’ availability for IPL 2024 adds an intriguing layer to the upcoming auction and the players’ aspirations to showcase their talent on the grand IPL stage.
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