• Home
  • Cricket News
  • International Stars Uncertainty Looms As Ilt20 Overlap Disrupts Bpl 2025 Plans

Dark clouds over BPL 2025 as ILT20 commitments delay overseas players’ arrival

Kaushik Kashyap

International players to arrive late in BPL. [Source - ILT20]International players to arrive late in BPL. [Source - ILT20]

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is all set to get underway on December 26, but even before the first ball is bowled, teams are troubled with a major concern. The availability of overseas players due to a direct clash with the ongoing International League T20 (ILT20) in the UAE has left several franchises uncertain about their availibility.

The ILT20 league stage runs until December 28, with playoffs and the final scheduled between December 30 and January 4. This overlap threatens the opening Sylhet phase of the BPL, which is going to happen until January 2. If ILT20 teams qualify for the knockouts, many overseas players could miss the first phase of BPL.

BPL teams on alert as ILT20 commitments delay key overseas players

Dhaka Capitals are among the worst affected in this availability crisis as their star signings, Alex Hales, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Dasun Shanaka, are all currently playing in the ILT20.

Shanaka’s situation is much worse as he was recently named Sri Lanka’s T20I captain until the T20 World Cup 2026, which also includes a home T20I series against Pakistan in early January.

Rangpur Riders will be looking at Kyle Mayers’ situation as his ILT20 team, Gulf Giants, are in contention for the playoffs, which could delay his arrival in BPL as Rangpur begin their Sylhet leg on December 29.

New franchise Noakhali Express might also face delays in arrival of Mohammad Nabi, Sadequllah Atal and Johnson Charles, who will join only after finishing their ILT20 commitments.

Moreover, Sylhet Titans will have to wait for Moeen Ali and Azmatullah Omarzai, both tied up with playoff bound Gulf Giants. Amongst the local players, Bangladesh pacers Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed are expected to return from ILT20 after December 24, once their NOCs expire.