BPL to host player auction for the first time in 12 years

BPL to host player auction for the first time in 12 years

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is bringing back the players' auction for the first time in 12 years. The auction was used in the first two seasons (2012 and 2013), but after that, the league switched to a draft system. Now, the BPL Governing Council has announced that the auction will return for the 12th edition of the tournament.

The auction will be held on November 23 at a hotel in the city. Five teams will take part: Dhaka Capitals, Chattogram Royals, Rajshahi Warriors, Rangpur Riders, and Sylhet Titans. This event also marks the start of a new franchise cycle, with a more organised and clear bidding process that follows international T20 league standards.

Local players will be split into six categories, and overseas players into five. The highest base price for Bangladeshi players will be BDT 50 lakh, and bids will go up by BDT 5 lakh each time. For foreign players, the top category will start at USD 35,000, with bids increasing by USD 5,000.

Before the auction, each team can sign up to two Bangladeshi players (from the top two categories) and one or two foreign players directly, but only with approval from the BPL Governing Council.

The auction will happen in two parts first for local players, then for overseas players. Every team must buy at least 11 local players from the auction, and can have up to 15 local players in total. Direct signings won’t count in this number. Each team will have a budget of BDT 4.5 crore for local players, not including direct signings.

Teams can register as many foreign players as they want, but only 2 to 4 can play in a match. Each team must buy at least two overseas players through the auction. The total budget for foreign players is USD 350,000, including direct signings. Teams must stick to the set price limits and cannot go over. All payments will follow the rules set by the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

After the auction ends, teams must submit their final squad list within 24 hours. All player contracts will follow the standard format used by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).