Brendon McCullum to Rangpur Riders – The explosive former New Zealand batsman was one of the eight international marquee players for the T20 Global League. The postponement of that tournament has allowed McCullum to sign up for his first BPL season. He will reportedly be available to play for Rangpur Riders from November 15, which means he is set to miss their first three matches.
Sarfraz Ahmed to Khulna Titans – Pakistan’s new Test captain was roped in by the Titans soon after he led his side to their maiden Champions Trophy triumph in England in June. He will certainly be a step-up after they experimented with Nicholas Pooran last season.
Shadab Khan to Khulna Titans – The Pakistan spin sensation’s 16 wickets in four T20Is against West Indies put him on the map before he was involved in his side’s Champions Trophy winning campaign. He was signed alongside Sarfraz last month.
Kieron Pollard to Dhaka Dynamites – The hard-hitting allrounder becomes the first player to shift from the now-postponed T20 Global League to the BPL. Pollard was picked by Bloem City Blazers as the first overseas marquee player at the draft of the South African domestic competition on August 26. Given that the two tournaments were to run side-by-side, the postponement of the GLT20 has afforded BPL teams to dig into additional player reserves. Pollard was part of the Dhaka Gladiators that won the title in 2012 and 2013. Pollard is 13 matches short of becoming the first cricketer to play 400 T20s, but to do that, he has to remain fit for the entire tournament.
Mushfiqur Rahim to Rajshahi Kings – The BPL’s highest overall run-getter has left Barisal Bulls for Rajshahi Kings. This is the third consecutive time that Mushfiqur has moved from one franchise to another, having previously played for Duranta Rajshahi (2012), Sylhet Royals (2013), Sylhet Superstars (2015) and Barisal Bulls (2016).
Luke Wright to Rajshahi Kings – Having already scored a hundred in the NatWest T20 Blast, Wright will look to replicate his prolific returns for Kings. His only appearance in the BPL was in the 2013 edition, when he struck a half-century in his three innings for eventual champions Dhaka Gladiators.
Malcolm Waller to Rajshahi Kings – The Zimbabwe allrounder is set to return to the BPL after scoring only 91 runs for Dhaka Dynamites in seven innings during the 2015 season. While his strike-rate will be an asset to Kings, who have looked to bulk up their middle order with big hitting allrounders, Waller’s offbreaks could also be handy in stemming the scoring of the oppositions.
Mashrafe Mortaza to Rangpur Riders – Mashrafe Mortaza has moved to a third BPL franchise with the Riders acquiring him this year. Mashrafe had taken 13 wickets in 12 games for Comilla Victorians last year after having led them to a maiden title in 2015. Mashrafe had also led the Dhaka Gladiators to the 2012 and 2013 BPL titles, and was termed by the Riders CEO Ishtiaque Sadeque as a “lucky charm”.
Chris Lynn to Khulna Titans – One of Australia’s biggest T20 names, he was set to head to the BPL for the first time this season, until shoulder surgery ruled him out.
Seekkuge Prasanna to Khulna Titans – The Sri Lankan legspinner played for Dhaka Dynamites in last season’s Bangladesh Premier League. He had one six-filled innings, though his bowling didn’t come off too well. Prasanna played for Barisal Bulls in BPL 2015.
Kyle Abbott to Khulna Titans – The South African fast bowler will strengthen the Titans’ pace attack, which already has Junaid Khan. He hasn’t, however, had a lot of success in the format since the World T20 in 2016. This will be his first BPL campaign as well.
Rilee Rossouw to Khulna Titans – The T20 veteran batted well for Quetta Gladiators in this year’s Pakistan Super League and will be an important addition to the Titans’ batting line-up.
Lendl Simmons to Rajshahi Kings – He will return to the BPL after making 221 runs at 22.10 for Rangpur Riders in BPL 2015. Simmons’ IPL stint this year didn’t go too well after a promising start – he made 137 runs in seven innings.
