BPL Draft: Najmul Shanto, Pathum Nissanka join Barishal; Saim Ayub joins Dhaka

Defending champions Fortune Barishal signed Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto for the upcoming edition of the BPL, which is slated to begin on December 27. The 26-year-old went unsold in the first round but in the second, the Tamim Iqbal-led side picked him up for the next season. 

Barishal strengthened their opening order by signing Sri Lanka international Pathum Nissanka in the players’ draft. He was their first choice in the overseas category. Notably, Nissanka has been remarkable in the shortest format, scoring 1429 runs in 55 T20Is he played. Recently, he did well in the Test series against England, which would boost the confidence of the 26-year-old. 

The franchise also signed James Fuller in the draft. Interestingly, the 34-year-old was part of the Barishal squad last season, in which he played three games and picked up six wickets. Furthermore, the franchise also acquired the services of Bangladesh leggie Rishad Hossain, who recently impressed with his exploits at the 2024 T20 World Cup. 

On the other hand, Durdanto Dhaka signed Pakistan interantional Saim Ayub. The 22-year-old has great potential but is yet to make a mark on the international stage. He has played 23 T20Is and has made 309 runs at a strike rate of 122.13. There is plenty of room for improvement and he will be hoping to show his class in the next BPL. Apart from Ayub, Dhaka also signed Afghanistan international Amir Hamza.

Hasnain, Gregory join Khulna; Sylhet sign Cornwall

Khulna signed Pakistan pacer Mohammad Hasnain for the next season. The 24-year-old played 27 T20Is, picking up 25 wickets at an economy rate of 8.44. He has not played in the BPL previously and is not a regular for Quetta Gladiators in the PSL as well.

Apart from Hasnain, Khulna also signed England international Lewis Gregory. He was in decent form for Somerset in the Blast but struggled massively in the 2024 Hundred. On the other hand, Sylhet signed Rahkeem Cornwall and Samiullah Shenwari. Notably, Shinwari retired from all forms of cricket but continues to play in the BPL. Meanwhile, Cornwall is an interesting pick, given that he had an average time for Barbados Royals in the CPL.