The national team’s T20 captain Liton will not lead Rangpur Riders, while Test captain Shanto will take charge of Rajshahi Warriors, with a few surprises among the list of BPL captains.
Saikat Ali is making his BPL debut after a long career. In 11 previous editions, he has played just 25 matches, never really making a significant impact. Over nearly 13 years in T20 cricket, he has featured in only 64 matches, with his performances considered modest at best. He also has no prior leadership experience in this format. Despite this, the Noakhali Express has entrusted Saikat with the captaincy for this season’s BPL.
A couple of weeks ago, there was controversy over whether Zaker Ali would be appointed captain, with one of the team’s owners making a highly controversial and disrespectful remark. In the end, Zaker was not given the role. Saikat was chosen over players like Soumya Sarkar, Hasan Mahmud, Najmul Islam Apu, Mahidul Islam Ankon, and Sabbir Hossain.
So far, Saikat has never even won a toss in T20 cricket. In 64 matches, he has scored four fifties, totaling 1,017 runs at an average of 18.49 and a strike rate of 118.39. With slow-medium pace bowling, he has taken six wickets.
The Noakhali team announced after practice on the day before the tournament that Saikat would be their captain. The reasons behind this decision may become clearer as the season progresses.
Rangpur Riders revealed their captain on the same day. Nurul Hasan Sohan, who has led the team since the 2023 BPL, has already won the toss 49 times for Rangpur. With the inclusion of national T20 captain Liton Kumar Das, some curiosity arose, but the team ultimately stuck with their regular leader rather than the national captain.
Mehedi Hasan Miraz’s captaincy was never in doubt. Having been directly signed by the team, it was expected that this all-rounder would lead Sylhet Titans, which was officially confirmed the day before the tournament. He has captained 33 T20 matches so far, 32 in the BPL and one in the Dhaka Premier League T20.
Rajshahi Warriors’ captaincy had generated much curiosity. Experienced Mushfiqur Rahim, national team captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, and domestic star Akbar Ali were all considered. In the end, the team chose Shanto.
Shanto’s record in international T20s is not exceptional. He has led Bangladesh in 24 matches with underwhelming team results, and his personal batting form has been inconsistent. Yet, the management has placed their trust in him. In other formats, however, the 27-year-old has shown his leadership abilities. His main challenge this season will be to prove his batting form. So far, he has captained 40 matches, but this will be his BPL captaincy debut.
Dhaka Capitals’ captain Mohammad Mithun has faced similar scrutiny, mainly over his batting. Despite leading Chittagong Kings to the final last season with a middling squad and off-field controversies, he managed just one fifty in 14 innings. He has captained 41 T20 matches, 22 of them in the BPL.
So far, only Chattogram Royals have yet to announce their captain. Although they have a match on the opening day, the delay is not surprising. The team’s owners stepped aside the day before the tournament, leaving the BCB in charge. They still lack at least two foreign players to field in their first match, and there is no player with significant leadership experience in the squad.
