BPL 2019-20: Mohammad Nabi appointed captain of Rangpur Rangers

After making his mark as a premier T20 all-rounder across the world, Afghanistan star Mohammad Nabi will have a chance to prove himself as a captain in the upcoming season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Rangpur Rangers have named the veteran their skipper ahead of the new season which starts this month.

The seven-team tournament will kickstart on December 11. Nabi-led Rangpur Rangers will take on Cummilla Warriors in their first match on the opening day of the competition. Previously known as Rangpur Riders, the team won their first and only title in 2017. Bangladesh legend Mashrafe Mortaza was the captain of the team during that season. In the last edition of the BPL, the Rangers had made it to the playoffs.

Mohammad Nabi in BPL

Mohammad Nabi, whose captaincy appointment news was confirmed by bdcrictime, will be eyeing success with the Rangers this season and he is well aware of what to do for the same. The Afghanistan stalwart has ample experience of playing in the BPL, having first featured in the tournament way back in 2013 for Sylhet Royals. He had made an instant mark in his debut season, impressing with both bat and ball. Nabi had gone on to finish the tournament as the team’s leading wicket-taker with 18 wickets.

In 2015, he was picked by the Rangpur Riders. It was not the most productive of seasons for Nabi as he managed to take only seven wickets and scored 37 runs. He was then signed for the 2016 tournament by the Chittagong Vikings. This time around, he did well by picking up a commendable 19 wickets with his off-spin. During the same season, he also scored his maiden BPL half-century.

In 2017, he plied his trade for Commilla Victorians before being signed by the Rangers for this season. Mohammad Nabi also has enough experience in T20s, having played franchise cricket all over the world. The allrounder, who plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, has also played in Big Bash League, Caribbean Premier League and Pakistan Super League.

He was last seen in action for Delhi Bulls during the Abu Dhabi T10 League last month. So far, Nabi has played a staggering 238 T20s, scoring 3,617 runs in addition to picking up 239 wickets.