Samsul Arefin Khan

Sylhet Strikers had a woeful start in this year’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as they lost their opening three matches and two of them were in front of their crazy home fans at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

With Tamim Iqbal announcing his retirement on Friday, another chapter in the legacy of Chattogram’s renowned ‘Khan Family’ in Bangladesh cricket has closed. Akram Khan, Tamim’s uncle, was the family’s first representative in the national team, playing for the Tigers from 1988 to 2003. He was followed by Nafees Iqbal, Tamim’s elder brother, who represented Bangladesh from 2003 to 2006. Tamim, the longest-serving family member in the national side and one of the country’s greatest batters, debuted in 2007 and called it quits after an illustrious career filled with highs and lows. On Saturday, Akram, a former captain and current Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director, shared his reflections with The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan. He spoke about the family’s emotions following Tamim’s decision, his mixed feelings about Tamim’s career, and thoughts on his nephew’s future plans. The excerpts from the interview are as follows:

Before leaving Bangladesh, the 2019 World Cup winner talked to The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan regarding his short stint in BPL, his observations on the evolution of the tournament and his plans with international and franchise cricket.

Fortune Barishal skipper Tamim Iqbal received one demerit point along with a warning for breaching Level 1 Article 2.6 code of conduct during his side’s fifth Bangladesh Premier League T20 match against Rangpur Riders on Thursday.

Taskin’s stellar form with the ball has carried over into the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as well as he has already taken 12 wickets in four matches – highest among bowlers so far – for Durbar Rajshahi, which included a record-breaking 7-19 against Dhaka Capitals during his side’s second game in Dhaka on January 2.

Rangpur Riders skipper Nurul Hasan Sohan pulled off a miraculous victory against Fortune Barishal yesterday when he singlehandedly chased down 26 runs in the last over, a feat that overwhelmed him with joy but also evoked the memory of a defeat in the 2022 T20 World Cup against India where he nearly got the team home from a similar situation but fell short.

High-scoring fixtures have been one of the highlights of the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) with the wickets in both Dhaka and Sylhet receiving applause from all corners for providing exciting contests so far in the meet.

Pace sensation Nahid Rana said he is ready to embrace increasing workloads instead of being overly cautious by the frequent injuries taking out quick bowlers worldwide. 

Jones, who played a starring role in USA’s qualification to the Super Eight stage in last year’s ICC T20 World Cup, is now in Bangladesh, playing for the Sylhet Strikers in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Rangpur Riders' top-order batter Saif Hassan may finally be getting into the T20 groove following a good run of form in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League.

Amid the handful of foreign stars featuring in this year’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), former England batter Alex Hales is definitely one to look at.

The Sylhet phase of the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) gets underway today at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium with organisers aiming to make it a bigger success both on and off the field than the opening phase in Dhaka.

Although local batters flourished in the high-scoring opening phase of the ongoing 11th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in Dhaka, which concluded on Friday, most batters of the national T20I team struggled to get going, something they would be hoping to change in the upcoming Sylhet phase.

Fans were treated to high-scoring matches, while off-field drama surrounding ticketing issues added intrigue to the tournament’s opening day.

In previous years, star cricketers like Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Jason Holder, and Imran Tahir, who are generally seen ruling the franchise tournaments across the world, featured for different BPL franchises but this year, none of these players will be playing in the country’s sole franchise-based T20 tournament.

In an interview with The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan, Stephen Eskinazi opened up on his cricketing journey and revealed that his international cricket aspirations revolve solely around England.

In a conversation with The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan on Wednesday, the pace sensation opened up about the flying start to his Bangladesh career and what he plans to achieve in 2025. The excerpts are as follows: 

Five U-19 cricketers including skipper Azizul Hakim Tamim and pacer Iqbal Hossain Emon, who were part the Asia Cup winning squad in the UAE, featured in the just-concluded National Cricket League T20 held in Sylhet, showcasing notable performances that caught the eyes of the franchises.

The 31-year-old opener yesterday talked to The Daily Star regarding women’s Test future as well, among other things.

The back-to-back ODI series defeats to West Indies and Afghanistan have come as a big reality check for Bangladesh, who seemed to have lost their way in the 50-over format ahead of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held in February-March next year.