Taskin Ahmed is unfazed about missing opportunities to play in the IPL or PSL, despite coming close multiple times.
“What’s there to be frustrated about?” Taskin said with a smile. He revealed that he had prior indications of being picked in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) draft, with teams like Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi showing interest. However, when the draft concluded, his name wasn’t called. Instead of dwelling on it, Taskin pointed to an even bigger missed opportunity in his career—being unable to play in the IPL despite three chances.
Throughout his nearly 12-year career, Taskin has only participated in one franchise T20 league, the Lanka Premier League. Although there have been other opportunities, Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) focus on fitness and workload management meant he didn’t receive clearance to participate.
Currently, Taskin is in top form in the ongoing BPL. Despite the struggles of his team, Durbar Rajshahi, he has bagged 20 wickets in nine matches—no other bowler in the tournament has crossed 13 wickets.
Rajshahi’s head coach, Ejaz Ahmed, had confidently said that Lahore Qalandars were keen on Taskin, while Pakistani opener Mohammad Haris claimed Peshawar Zalmi were also interested. Yet, neither team picked him in the PSL draft, while other Bangladeshi players like Nahid Rana, Litton Das, and Rishad Hossain were chosen.
When asked about the PSL snub during a press conference after Rajshahi’s loss to Chittagong Kings on Monday, Taskin remained calm, emphasizing his focus on representing his country.
“No, it’s not disappointing. What’s there to be disappointed about? The most important thing is serving my country well. If I perform well wherever I play, more opportunities will come my way.”
Referring to his missed IPL chances, Taskin added: “I had three chances to play in the IPL before but couldn’t go. If I were frustrated, I would’ve hung myself by now. I’m not disappointed at all. Whatever is written in my fate… many opportunities will come, Inshallah.”
Although Taskin never secured a spot through the IPL auction, multiple franchises had shown interest in signing him as a replacement player for injured cricketers in the past. However, he couldn’t join due to the lack of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the BCB, which also compensated him financially for the missed chances.
As for the upcoming IPL season, rumors of Taskin being on teams’ radar are resurfacing, but he clarified that there’s no official communication yet.
“Since I wasn’t picked in the draft, there’s a possibility I might be considered as a replacement if a team needs one. The same goes for the PSL. Personally, no one has contacted me. Agents handle these discussions, and I haven’t heard from anyone so far,” Taskin concluded.
