Rajshahi Warriors moved for senior wicketkeeper batter Mushfiqur Rahim on Sunday as the Bangladesh Premier League held its first auction in nearly a decade, with captain Najmul Hossain Shanto confirming that the acquisition was a collective call from the team management.
Speaking after the auction, Shanto said the franchise had long intended to bring in a player of Mushfiqur’s stature. “He is such a big player who has served Bangladesh cricket for so many years,” Shanto told reporters. “We definitely wanted him in the team. It was a combined decision from the management, the coach and the owners. He is a very important player and I believe he will play a very important role for us.”
Mushfiqur had gone unsold in the initial round of bidding despite becoming the only Bangladesh batter to play 100 Tests earlier this year. Rajshahi eventually secured him without lowering his base price in the B category, a stance Shanto said deserved credit.
“I think it was a very good decision,” he said. “Respect should be given. I want to mention the BCB and the Rangpur team in particular, because the message about not downgrading his category first came from Rangpur. So thanks to Rangpur. I feel it was a very good call.”
Shanto also expressed satisfaction with the local core assembled by Rajshahi. “I am happy with the local players we have got, Alhamdulillah,” he said. “If you look at their recent performances, especially in domestic cricket, you will see they have all performed well. Hopefully they will maintain that consistency in the BPL too.”
