Shakib top icon for BPL

Tigers allrounder Shakib Al Hasan was selected as the top icon in the Bangladesh Premier League by the technical committee of the T20 franchise competition.

Shakib will don the colours of Dhaka Dynamites in the upcoming BPL  scheduled to begin on November 4 after the franchise secured his services for Taka 55 lakh. Dhaka are also looking to rope in top cricketers like Dwayne Bravo, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Andre Russell and Ravi Bopara, reports Bangla daily Prothom Alo.

The player draft for BPL will be organized on September 30, however the seven designated icons will not feature in the event. Icons had the privilege to choose the team they will represent, and they have made their decisions final.

Bangladesh ODI and T20 skipper Mashrafe Mortaza will lead the current champions Comilla Victorians once again. Tamim Iqbal didn’t desert Chittagong Vikings. Mushfiqur Rahim went to Barisal Bulls. Mahmudullah Riyad joined Khulna Titans. Sabbir Rahman will appear for Rajshahi. Soumya Sarkar is Rangpur Riders’ icon while Shakib was secured by Dhaka Dynamites.

In total 133 cricketers have been sorted in five categories: Icon, A, B, C and D. 11 players in category A are valued at Taka 25 lakh. In group B, 35 cricketers are valued at Taka 18 lakh. 53 players in group C will receive Taka 12 lakh each while group D has 27 players valued at Taka five lakh each.

Expect the icons, the rest of the cricketers will be picked by the franchises during the players draft on September 30. Each franchise can retain two local cricketers from the last year’s roster. The franchises have had talks with their chosen foreign players, and will submit their names to the technical committee of BPL in a day or two.

Chris Gayle may star for Chittagong Vikings while Comilla retained Ashar Zaidi, Marlon Samuels and Nuwan Kulasekara. Boom Boom Afridi will blast away for Rangpur while Darren Sammy may be seen in Rajshahi’s dug-out.

List of Icons:

Shakib Al Hasan-55 lakh

Mushfiqur Rahim-50 lakh

Tamim Iqbal-50 lakh

Mahmudullah-50 lakh

Mashrafe Mortaza-50 lakh

Sabbir Rahman-40 lakh

Soumya Sarkar-40 lakh