BPL 2025: Durbar Rajshahi field only local players vs Rangpur Riders

Durbar Rajshahi made the unique decision to only deploy local players in their Bangladesh Premier League 2025 matchup against the Rangpur Riders at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. According to the franchise league’s Technical Committee, Rajshahi will not have any foreign players on the field.

Ryan Burl, Mohammad Haris, Mark Deyal, Miguel Cummins, Aftab Alam, and Lahiru Samarakoon were among the international players Rajshahi selected, but all declined to play because of the money disagreement.

“The Durbar Rajshahi team, currently competing in the 2025 Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20,

has applied to the BPL Technical Committee for special approval to field a team consisting solely of Bangladeshi players for today’s match against Rangpur Riders due to the non-availability of overseas players,” according to a statement issued by the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

“After a review of the request and in accordance with the provisions outlined in Clause 1.2.8 of the Match Playing Conditions of BPL 2024-25, the Technical Committee has granted approval for Durbar Rajshahi to field a team consisting of only Bangladeshi players for this match,” it said.

A minimum of two non-Bangladeshi players (overseas players) must be fielded by a team during the current season, according to the BPL’s rulebook.

In reference to the 11th edition/season of the BPL T20, “Franchises must include minimum two (2) and maximum four (4) Overseas Players in its playing XI on the field of play in any match all time,” according to the general rules and draft rulebook for BPL players.

Because they had not received their money in a timely manner, Rajshahi’s players had skipped practice sessions earlier in the season.

Rajshahi had only won four of the ten games they had played in prior to the match. In the BPL 2024–25, they also had the lowest net run rate of the seven clubs that were playing.