BPL 2019: 5 Bangladesh youngsters to watch out for

Bangladesh have produced a plethora of talent over the years and many of them have gone on to make a name for themselves in world cricket. It’s because of their success that the Tigers are currently a force to reckon with in all the three formats of the illustrious sport. Back in 2012, Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) saw the daylight and it turned out to be a massive success in the cricket-crazy nation.

Though the tournament was marred with match-fixing scandals, it has recovered from its aftermath and is set to witness it’s sixth edition, starting Saturday, January 5. The drafts took place on October 28 and 186 local players went under the hammer. Some promising youngsters were also picked. In our article, we take a look at five promising young players who can make a mark in the T20 orgy.

Nayeem Hasan- Chittagong Vikings

Nayeem doesn’t have much of an experience in T20 cricket, having played only five matches in which he has picked up only a couple of wickets. He made his debut for Chittagong Vikings in the 2017 edition of the BPL at the age of 16 and picked up only a solitary wicket in the two matches he played. He recently became the youngest to notch a Test five-wicket haul on debut against Windies in Dhaka.

The 18-year-old Young Turk is set to represent the Vikings in the T20 tournament’s next edition. Moreover, he also has potential with the bat in hand. In his first-class career, he has an average of 16.35 with a top score of 43. Hence, one can’t afford to undermine his potential with the bat. He would have the privilege of playing alongside the likes of Mushfiqur Rahim and Mohammad Ashraful.

Towhid Hridoy- Sylhet Sixers

The 18-year-old is yet to make his T20 debut, but his all-round abilities have already impressed the cricketing fraternity. The Bogra-born played the 2018 U19 World Cup earlier this year and 154 runs at an average of 30.80. His top score of 122 came against Canada. He also did an excellent job in the U19 Asia Cup in Bangladesh, where he captained the team to the semi-final against India in Dhaka.

Albeit he is yet to foray into T20 cricket, he has had an impressive time in List A career. In 11 matches, the right-hander has notched 466 runs with four half-centuries and a ton. Most importantly, he plays at a strike-rate of 90.83, which is decent enough in 50-overs cricket. Hridoy would be playing for Sylhet Sixers under the captaincy of Australian cricketer David Warner, who would be playing his first BPL.

Afif Hossain- Sylhet Sixers  

The 19-year-old had a fairytale debut in his T20 career, representing Rajshahi Kings in the match against Chittagong Vikings in Dhaka. At the age of 17 years and 72 days, he became the youngest to pick up a five-wicket haul in T20s. He had the privilege of picking Chris Gayle as well. In his 16-match T20 career, he already has 13 wickets. He was also an integral part of Bangladesh in the 2018 U19 World Cup.

During the event, he notched 276 runs at an average of 46 with four-half-centuries. Moreover, he was also effective with his off-breaks, having picked up eight wickets with a fifer. The Khulna-born cricketer made his T20I debut earlier this year against Sri Lanka in Dhaka and was taken for 26 runs in his two overs. Moreover, he got out for a two-ball duck. Hossain would now ply his trade for Sylhet Sixers.

Qazi Onik- Dhaka Dynamites

The left-arm speedster made his BPL debut for the Kings back in 2017 and picked up six wickets in three matches. He also produced a match-winning spell of 4/17 in his very first match against the Vikings as Rajshahi defended 158 runs. He was also a part of U19 World Cup, where he ended the event as Bangladesh’s leading wicket-taker with 10 wickets from six matches at an average of 4.58.

His wicket-taking ability can also be understood from the fact that he has picked up 37 wickets in 19 List A matches thus far with a couple of five-wicket hauls. He was picked by Dhaka Dynamites and would be honing his skills under the enigmatic Shakib Al Hasan. An impressive show with the leather in the T20 extravaganza may even bring him into the selectors’ radar for a selection in the national team.

Shadman Islam- Chittagong Vikings

The 23-year-old made his debut for Dhaka Dynamites back in 2015, but couldn’t quite make much of an impact. In his maiden appearance for the Dynamites in 2015 against the Vikings and impressed with a knock of 45 runs from 47 balls with six boundaries. But thereafter, he could only score 50 runs in the next four matches. In 2015, he only played four matches in which he scored 86 runs at 21.50.

Back in 2017, the left-handed batsman played only a solitary match against Comilla Victorians and scored nine runs. In the upcoming edition, Shadman would play for the Vikings. Recently, the Dhaka-born cricketer made his Test debut and showed that he can stave off the best of bowling attacks. Though he doesn’t have stupendous records, he has the ability to provide solidity to any lineup.

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