Excitement is building as the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) prepares for its 2025 season. The player draft for this eleventh edition, held on October 14, 2024, at the Radisson Blu Water Garden Dhaka, saw top talents strategically picked by each team. With squads now taking shape, teams are gearing up for the tournament’s launch on December 27, 2024. Cricket enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the chance to see their favorite stars in action. Here, we dive into the standout changes from this year’s player draft and how they’re set to impact team dynamics and signing deals. BPL 2025 Players Draft Highlights The payout system for cricketers in categories A, B, and C has experienced notable reductions this season. Category A athletes will now earn BDT 6 million, a decrease from BDT 8 million. In Category B, salaries have been trimmed by BDT 1 million, resulting in a new total of BDT 4 million. Meanwhile, Category C players will take home BDT 2.5 million, instead of BDT 3 million. In contrast, the remuneration for categories D, E, and F remains constant at BDT 2 million, BDT 1.5 million, and BDT 1 million, respectively. Leading the charge in Category A are prominent figures such as Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, and Mahmudullah. Notably, Rishad's ascent from Category E to Category A is significant. This category features a total of 12 players. Section B is also home to 12 players, showcasing talents like Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Tanzim Sakib, Afif Hossain, and Jaker Ali. Meanwhile, Section C comprises 22 players, including esteemed cricketers such as Imrul Kayes, Soumya Sarkar, Mominul Haque, Taijul Islam, and Saifuddin. Categories D, E, and F collectively include 28, 51, and 63 players, respectively. Read more: Ireland Women's Cricket arrives here on Nov 22 to play three-match ODI, T20I series with Bangladesh This season marks the absence of the Comilla Victorians, with Durbar Rajshahi stepping in to fill the void. The Dhaka team will now be competing as Dhaka Capitals under the ownership of film star Shakib Khan’s Remarque Harlan. Joining the league is the rebranded Chittagong Kings, formerly the Chattogram Challengers. According to The Business Standard, 440 overseas players are listed for selection. Among them, 20 elite players in the top A category could earn up to USD 70,000, roughly BDT 8.3 million (USD 1 = BDT 119.56). The highest remuneration for overseas players was USD 80,000 in the 2024 draft. Category B includes 38 players, Category C has 66, Category D features 135, and Category E lists 181 cricketers. The pay structure for these categories is outlined as follows: - USD 50,000 (around BDT 5.9 million) for the B category- USD 30,000 (approximately BDT 3.5 million) for the C category- USD 25,000 (nearly BDT 2.9 million) for the D category- USD 15,000 (BDT 1.7 million) for the E category. Read more: First batch of Bangladesh cricketers in Dubai to play ODI series against Afghanistan BPL 2025 All Teams Full Squad Table: Overview of the list of Bangladeshi and overseas players in BPL 2025 Team Name Bangladeshi Players Foreign Players Dhaka Capitals Direct Signings - Mustafizur Rahman- Tanzid Hasan Tamim From the Draft - Liton Das (C)- Habibur Rahman Sohan- Mukidul Islam- Abu Jayed- Sabbir Rahman- Musfik Hasan- Munim Shahriar- Shahadat Hossain- Asif Hasan- Rahmatullah Direct Signings - Johnson Charles- Stephen Eskinazi- Thisara Perera- Amir Hamza- Shahnawaz Dahani From the Draft - Saim Ayub- Mir Hamza- Farmanullah- Zahoor Khan- Chaturanga de Silva- Riaz Hassan- Shubham Ranjane Chittagong Kings Direct Signings - Shakib Al Hasan (C)- Shoriful Islam From the Draft - Shamim Hossain- Parvez Hossain Emon- Khaled Ahmed- Naeem Islam- Aliss Islam- Mohammad Mithun- Maruf Mridha- Rahatul Ferdous- Sheikh Parvez Jibon- Marshall Ayub Direct Signings - Moeen Ali- Angelo Mathews- Usman Khan- Mohammad Wasim- Haider Ali- Binura Fernando From the Draft - Graham Clark- Tom O'Connell- Khawaja Nafay- Lahiru Milantha- Zubaid Akbari Fortune Barishal Retaining Players - Tamim Iqbal (C)- Mushfiqur Rahim Direct Signings - Towhid Hridoy From the Draft - Nazmul Hossain Shanto- Mahmudullah Riad- Ripon Mondol- Tanvir Islam- Rishad Hossain- Taijul Islam- Ebadot Hossain- Nayeem Hasan- Shohidul Islam- Ariful Islam- Pritom Kumar Direct Signings - Mohammad Nabi- Kyle Mayers- Dawid Malan- Faheem Ashraf- Mohammad Ali- Jahandad Khan From the Draft - James Fuller- Pathum Nissanka- Mohammad Imran Khulna Tigers Retaining Players - Nasum Ahmed- Afif Hossain Direct Signings - Mehidy Hasan Miraz (C) From the Draft - Hasan Mahmud- Naim Sheikh- Imrul Kayes- Mahmudul Hasan Joy- Mahidul Islam Ankon- Abu Hider Rony- Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby- Ziaur Rahman- Rubel Hossain Direct Signings - Oshane Thomas From the Draft - Mohammad Nawaz- Mohammad Hasnain- Lewis Gregory Sylhet Strikers Retaining Players - Tanzim Hasan Sakib- Zakir Hasan Direct Signings - Jaker Ali Anik From the Draft - Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (C)- Rony Talukder- Arafat Sunny- Al-Amin Hossain- Ruyel Miah- Ariful Haque- Nihaduzzaman- Nahidul Islam Direct Signings - Paul Stirling- George Munsey From the Draft - Samiullah Shinwari- Rahkeem Cornwall- Reece Topley Rangpur Riders Retaining Players - Nurul Hasan Sohan (C)- Mahedi Hasan Direct Signings - Mohammad Saifuddin From the Draft - Nahid Rana- Saif Hassan- Soumya Sarkar- Rakibul Hasan- Irfan Sukkur- Tawfique Khan- Kamrul Islam Rabbi- Rejaur Rahman Raja Direct Signings - Khushdil Shah- Allah Ghazanfar- Alex Hales- Saurabh Netravalkar- Steven Taylor From the Draft - Iftikhar Ahmed- Akif Javed- Curtis Campher- Sediqullah Atal Durbar Rajshahi Direct Signings - Anamul Haque Bijoy (C) From the Draft - Akbar Ali- Taskin Ahmed- Jishan Alam- Sunzamul Islam- SM Meherob- Yasir Ali- Hasan Murad- Mohor Sheikh- Sabbir Hossain- Shafiul Islam- Mizanur Rahman- Zahiduzzaman- Asaduzzaman Payel From the Draft - Saad Nasim- Lahiru Samarakoon Read more: BCB meeting: Several lose directorship, resignation of three accepted Signing Amounts of Some Key Players The Dhaka Capitals have brought on Mustafizur Rahman and Tanzid Hasan Tamim with contracts valued at BDT 6 million and BDT 4 million, respectively. Meanwhile, the Chattogram Kings secured Shakib Al Hasan and Shoriful Islam, each for BDT 6 million. Defending champions, Fortune Barishal, retained Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim, and added Towhid Hridoy to their lineup, with all three earning BDT 6 million. The Sylhet Strikers kept local favorites Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Zakir Hasan and signed Jaker Ali directly. Tanzim and Jaker’s contract is settled at BDT 4 million each, while Zakir’s remuneration is set at BDT 2.5 million. For Khulna Tigers, Nasum Ahmed and Afif Hossain were brought back at BDT 2.5 million and BDT 4 million, respectively, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz joining the team for BDT 6 million. Former champions Rangpur Riders retained Nurul Hasan Sohan and Mahedi Hasan at BDT 4 million each and secured Mohammad Saifuddin for BDT 2.5 million. Durbar Rajshahi completed their lineup by enlisting Anamul Haque Bijoy for BDT 4 million. Read more: Pre-Draft Signings: Who’s joining each BPL team for 2025? Wrapping Up The BPL 2025 Players Draft significantly impacts both team squads and the players' financial aspects. Local players’ highest salaries drop to BDT 6 million, while foreign players' maximum earnings are set at USD 50,000. The league witnessed the exit of the Comilla Victorians, making way for Durbar Rajshahi. The Dhaka team has been rebranded as the Dhaka Capitals, now under the ownership of Dhallywood superstar Shakib Khan. Overall, the draft features 188 local players and 440 overseas players vying for a spot in the tournament. Read more: Series against Afghanistan: Bangladesh back in Sharjah after three decades to restore some pride