The last time Shadman Islam featured in the Bangladesh Premier League was six years ago, during the 2019-20 season with Rangpur Riders, where he played just two matches. Since then, he had been overlooked by all franchises for five consecutive seasons, and in the last BPL auction, he went unsold.
The Bangladesh Test opener was enjoying a break from cricket and had been away from regular practice for nearly three weeks when a call from Nafees Iqbal changed everything. He was invited to join Chattogram Royals for the ongoing BPL, despite having earlier expressed his frustration and saying he would no longer play in the tournament.
Shadman’s T20 revival began back in October when he scored his maiden T20 century in the National Cricket League. Representing Dhaka Division, he amassed 192 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 152. That performance briefly reignited hope of a BPL return after five seasons, though it did not immediately materialize.
Now, after a long rollercoaster journey, Shadman has finally made his comeback to the BPL. Despite limited preparation time, the 30-year-old left-hander is confident he can bridge the gap and rise to the challenge.
“You don’t play T20 all the time. When you mostly play Tests and sometimes ODIs or other white-ball cricket, the preparation is very different,” Shadman said after Chattogram Royals’ practice session in Sylhet on Thursday. “Suddenly switching to T20 needs a different kind of readiness. By Allah’s grace, I have two or three days here, so I’m trying to prepare myself as best as I can. If I get the opportunity to play, I’ll definitely give my best.”
Asked about adjusting his game for the shortest format, Shadman emphasized the importance of mindset and focused practice. “In Tests, you are used to batting for long periods. But if you spend a few days on specific practice, working on certain shots, I don’t think the adjustment is too difficult. With five or six days of focused practice, you can cover most of that transition,” he explained.
Shadman also addressed his earlier statement about not playing in the BPL again and explained the circumstances behind his return. “The proposal came from Nafees bhai, and Bashar sir also spoke to me. As far as I know, this is now a BCB-run team, so there wasn’t really anything for me to refuse or object to,” he said, referring to Chattogram Royals being managed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board following a dispute between the franchise’s.
