Yusuf Pathan likely to feature in Dhaka Premier League 2018

Veteran Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan is likely to feature in the upcoming edition of the Dhaka Premier League (DPL). The senior Pathan could very well benefit from his participation in the 50-over tournament. With the 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) nearing its commencement, the Baroda all-rounder would want to hone his skills with a stint in the DPL.

Albeit the formats of the DPL and the IPL are different, the importance of match practice continues to be a paramount factor. As per the reports, Yusuf Pathan has already received the offers to feature in the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) quite a few times in the last couple of weeks. However, he is awaiting an NOC from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Historically, the BCCI has not been very interested in letting the Indian players feature in the leagues of the other countries. But, their stance has been different when it comes to the 50-over List A competitions. Hence, in all likelihood, Yusuf Pathan could get an NOC to play in the DPL this season.

The List A tournament of Bangladesh will commence in the first week of February. The final call on the entire episode is yet to be confirmed. Needless to reiterate, participating in the DPL will help him be back at his hitting best to entertain the audiences in the IPL this year.

Yusuf Pathan is set to get in to the IPL 2018 auctions with a base price of INR 75 lakh. The ability that he possesses with the willow in hand, he is set to be one of the most sought-after properties in the auctions. He has been a perennial performer for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the tournament history and the KKR camp could potentially use their RTM to retain his services.

The DPL Connection

If Yusuf gets to play in the tournament, this will not be the first instance of an Indian player featuring in the competition. Earlier, there have been players from India who have played in the 50-over competition in Bangladesh. The likes of Parvez Rasool, Unmukt Chand, and Manoj Tiwary were some of the big names associated with the DPL last season. Interestingly, Yusuf has also played in the DPL before.

Back in June 2016, he had represented the Abahani Limited in the competition. In his very first game for the team, Yusuf Pathan had scored a match-winning 60 off just 47 deliveries. His knock had helped his team chase a tricky target of 241 against the Prime Banks team in the match.

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