Shoriful joins Nahid at Peshawar Zalmi for PSL 11

Bangladesh pacer Shoriful Islam has joined fellow Tigers quick Nahid Rana at Peshawar Zalmi for the 11th season of the Pakistan Super League, scheduled to run from March 26 to May 3.

The franchise confirmed the inclusion of the left-arm pacer, who was roped in as a direct signing, through their social media platforms on Monday. The upcoming edition will mark Shoriful’s maiden appearance in the PSL.

“The Yellow Storm just got stronger with your arrival! [Bangladesh] express left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam is ready to unleash in the Pakistan Super League in yellow,” Zalmi captioned a post on X announcing the signing.

The 24-year-old has been a regular member of Bangladesh’s pace attack across all three formats. He recently enjoyed a rich vein of form and finished as the highest wicket-taker in the latest edition of the Bangladesh Premier League which concluded in late January. 

Representing Chattogram Royals, Shoriful claimed 26 wickets -- the highest tally in a single season of the competition -- at an economy rate of 5.84.

Despite his impressive performances, Shoriful was not picked during the PSL’s first-ever auction last month.

Among the Bangladesh players bought at the auction were Rana, Parvez Hossain Emon, Rishad Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman.

Both Nahid and Emon went unpicked in the initial phase before later being signed at their base price of PKR 60 lakh. Mustafizur, meanwhile, fetched PKR 6.44 crore as a direct signing by Lahore Qalandars -- the same side Emon will represent.

Rishad, meanwhile, is set to play for new franchise Rawalpindi Pindiz in the upcoming season.