Franchises overlook Bangladeshi cricketers in IPL auction; socio-political tension could be reason

New Delhi, Nov 26 (IANS): Bangladeshi cricket fans were left disappointed after none of their players was picked during the mega auction for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in the last two days. Despite showcasing immense talent in recent years, Bangladesh’s representation in the league will be non-existent as none of the 12 players, who put in their name for the event, were bought.

All the players from Bangladesh going unsold defies cricketing logic and could be due to non-cricketing reasons.

Though the franchises did not give any reason for not selecting players from Bangladesh, there is speculation on social media that socio-political tensions, including concerns over minority persecution in Bangladesh, might be the reason for ignoring the Bangladesh players in the auction.

The most notable absence was that of left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman, a seasoned IPL campaigner who has played for five franchises since his debut in 2016. With a base price of INR 2 crore, Mustafizur entered the auction after a decent 2024 season with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), where he picked up 14 wickets in nine matches at an average of 22. Although his economy of 9.26 was on the higher side, it reflected the high-scoring nature of last season.

Known for his lethal cutters, Mustafizur’s debut season with Sunrisers Hyderabad remains his best, where he was instrumental in their 2016 title win and was named the Emerging Player of the Season —the only overseas cricketer to achieve this honour. Yet, at 29, and despite his proven skills in the death overs, no team showed interest in acquiring him for IPL 2025.

The auction saw a total of 182 players being sold, including 62 overseas cricketers. However, none of the 12 shortlisted Bangladeshi players found a buyer.

All Bangladeshi Players in the IPL 2025 auction:

Mustafizur Rahman (Rs 2 crore), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Rs 1 crore), Shakib Al Hasan (Rs 1 crore), Taskin Ahmed (Rs 1 crore), Rishad Hossain (Rs 75 lakh), Litton Das (Rs 75 lakh), Towhid Hridoy (Rs 75 lakh), Shoriful Islam (Rs 75 lakh), Tanzim Hasan Sakib (Rs 75 lakh), Mahedi Hasan (Rs 75 lakh), Hasan Mahmud (Rs 75 lakh), and Nahid Rana (Rs 75 lakh)