Shakib Al Hasan joins the Rangpur Riders for upcoming Bangladesh Premier League

Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh all-rounder, is set to join the Rangpur Riders in the 2019-20 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The same was announced in a press conference held by the franchise. Previously the 32-year-old Shakib was the skipper of the Dhaka Dynamites, who lost the Comilla Victorians last season in the final at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka.

The Jessore-born was excellent with the ball last season, picking up 23 wickets in 15 matches. But he was a tad disappointing with the bat in hand, having scored 301 runs at 21.50 with a couple of half-centuries. As far as Rangpur is concerned, they were captained by Tigers ODI skipper Mashrafe Mortaza. With Shakib’s inclusion, it’s not yet known about the Riders’ skipper for the next season.

The Riders won the tournament for the first time back in 2017-18, beating the Dynamites in the final. Last season, Rangpur made their way through to the playoffs, but lost to Dhaka in the second qualifier and bowed out of the championship. The Riders also had the privilege of having the likes of Alex Hales, Rilee Rossouw and AB de Villiers and the Universe Boss Chris Gayle in their armoury.

Picks for the next BPL

Teams have already started picking players for the next edition of the T20 league. Eoin Morgan, the World Cup-winning England captain, and South African batsman David Miller have gone to the Dynamites. The very experienced Tamim Iqbal made a shift from Comilla and will next be representing the Khulna Titans, who will also have Shane Warne and Imran Tahir in their repertoire.

JP Duminy will be plying his trade for the Rajshahi Kings, who was led by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, in the previous season. Mushfiqur Rahim was a part of the Chittagong Vikings and will be playing for Comilla. The Vikings were recently announced not to take part in the league after their ownership was sold.

As far as Shakib is concerned, he had a stupendous campaign in the World Cup, having scored 606 runs and picking up 11 wickets. Bangladesh couldn’t make the semis, but Shakib captured the imaginations of the fans across the globe. He is now on a break, spending time with his wife Shishir and daughter Alaina, and isn’t a part of the three-match ODI series on Sri Lankan soil.