The door seemed like it was about to open for Rishad Hossain—but it just wouldn’t. Despite getting chances in Canada’s Global T20 League and Australia’s Big Bash League, he never made it onto the field. Finally, a breakthrough has come. The Bangladeshi leg-spinner is all set to play in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Rishad has already received a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to represent Lahore Qalandars in the tournament.
In the last edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Rishad played for Fortune Barishal and lifted the trophy under Tamim Iqbal’s leadership. Now, the spinner has similar hopes in Pakistan—he wants to return home as a champion once again. Speaking to the media today at Mirpur, Rishad expressed his excitement after getting the NOC. Sharing his ambition, he said, “I’m going there and will try to do well. I’ll try to come back as a champion from the tournament.”
Alongside Rishad, Litton Das and Nahid Rana have also received NOCs to play in this season’s PSL. Litton will represent Karachi Kings, while Nahid will suit up for Peshawar Zalmi. Strong performances from these Bangladeshi cricketers could open doors to other franchise leagues in the future. Rishad, aware of this opportunity, said, “It’s a chance for me. It’s good for my future, and also good for Bangladesh cricket. I’ll try to take away as much as I can from this experience.”
Pakistani pitches tend to favor batters, but Rishad has some recent experience there, having played in the Champions Trophy for Bangladesh. He’s also faced many Pakistani cricketers during the BPL. The 22-year-old spinner hopes to use that knowledge to his advantage in the PSL: “I’ve seen the wickets in Pakistan, and I’ve played against a number of their batters, so I have some idea about them. I’m working on those—where they’re strong, where they struggle—that sort of thing.”
Rishad’s PSL team, Lahore Qalandars, will kick off their campaign on April 11 against Islamabad United. The following day, Litton’s Karachi Kings and Nahid’s Peshawar Zalmi will also be in action.
