BPL auction: How it will work, total costs, and players to watch

The auction for the 12th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is today, Sunday. Six franchises will buy players at the auction event being held at a hotel in the capital.

More than 400 players, local and foreign, have registered for the auction. At least 84 players will be picked, though this number may increase based on the teams’ needs.

Six franchises are participating in this year’s BPL: Dhaka Capitals, Rangpur Riders, Chattogram Royals, Sylhet Titans, Rajshahi Warriors, and Noakhali Express.

All teams will take part in the auction. After several seasons of using the draft system, a full-scale auction is being held again. For the next season, teams will be able to retain a certain number of players from this season’s squad.

A total of 415 players, local and foreign combined, are listed in the auction. Of them, 158 are local players and 257 foreign players.

Local players have been divided into six categories: A, B, C, D, E, and F. Foreign players have been placed into 5 categories. Not all listed players will be called in the auction, as several players have already signed direct contracts.

Before the auction, each team was permitted to sign two Bangladeshi players (from categories A and B) and one or two foreign players. All six franchises have signed 12 local players in total.

Five teams have signed two foreign players each, while one team signed one foreign player.

Altogether, 23 players have been signed ahead of the auction.

Each team must buy at least 12 local players from the auction and can buy up to 14.

Teams must pick players across all categories: minimum two players from A & B combined, minimum 6 from C & D combined, and minimum 4 from E & F combined.

Each team must buy at least two foreign players at the auction. With BPL Governing Council and BCB approval, teams may register any number of foreign players, but in a match, they may field a minimum of two and a maximum of four foreign players.

Base price is Tk 5 million and bidding increments Tk 500,000 for Bangladeshi category A players. For category B players, base price is Tk 3.5 million and increment Tk 300,000, category C players have a base price of Tk 2.2 million and increment Tk 100,000, and increments for D,E, and F categories are Tk 50,000 per bid.

For category A foreign players, base price is US $35,000 base price and bidding increment $5,000. For category B foreign players, base price is $25,000 base price and increment $3,000.

Teams cannot spend unlimited amounts. For local players, each team may spend up to Tk 45 million, excluding direct signings. For foreign players, each team may spend $350,000, including the cost of directly signed players.

Teams must disclose the contract amounts of directly signed players. The remaining amount will determine their foreign-player budget for the auction.

Dhaka Capitals

• Local: Taskin Ahmed, Saif Hassan
• Foreign: Alex Hales, Usman Khan

Sylhet Titans
• Local: Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed
• Foreign: Mohammad Amir, Saim Ayub

Rangpur Riders
• Local: Mustafizur Rahman, Nurul Hasan
• Foreign: Khawaja Nafay, Sufiyan Muqim

Noakhali Express
• Local: Hasan Mahmud, Soumya Sarkar
• Foreign: Johnson Charles, Kusal Mendis

Rajshahi Warriors
• Local: Najmul Hossain, Tanzid Hasan
• Foreign: Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Nawaz

Chattogram Royals
• Local: Mehidy Hasan, Tanvir Islam
• Foreign: Abrar Ahmed

Many top Bangladeshi players have been signed directly. However, several notable players remain in the auction. Those include Bangladesh T20 captain Litton Das (Category A), and left-handed batsman Mohammad Naim (also in Category A).

Experienced players like Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim, and recent Asia Cup Rising Stars performers Ripon Mondol and Habibur Rahman may also attract strong interest.

Players, coaches, and officials combined, each franchise can have a maximum of 22 members, including reserves. Teams may register up to 12 officials, including managers, coaches, and analysts.

The auction will begin at 4:00 pm and will be broadcast live on T Sports. It will also be streamed on the BCB YouTube channel.

Franchises must pay players in three installments: 25 per cent at contract signing, 50 per cent before the team’s last league match, and 25 per cent within 30 days after the tournament ends.

All payments must be made on time and are subject to NBR tax deductions.

Final squad lists must be submitted to the BPL Governing Council within 24 hours of the auction.

All players will sign the standard BCB tripartite contract.

Any violation of auction rules, including influencing the process or misconduct, can result in bid cancellation, fines, suspension, or termination of the franchise. All complaints will be investigated by the BPL Governing Council, and its decisions will be final.

The 2026 season will be the first under the new ownership cycle. From the 13th edition onward, each franchise may retain two each local and foreign players.

New teams will follow the same rules for pre-auction signings.

All BPL legal disputes will be settled under the Bangladesh Cricket Board in accordance with Bangladeshi law.