Unmukt Chand first Indian to feature in BPL
Sports Desk
Unmukt Chand, the 2012 Under-19 World Cup-winning captain of India, will become the first Indian cricketer to play in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
Chand was roped in by Chattogram Challengers in the players' draft held today at a local hotel in the city.
Chand had registered his name for the BPL draft earlier, raising the prospect of getting a team with ease. BCCI contracted cricketers are not allowed to play in foreign leagues but Chand quit playing domestic cricket in India after signing a three-year deal with USA's Major League Cricket (MLC) in 2022.
Challengers picked Chand in the second round from the foreign players' category for the upcoming edition of the BPL which is slated to begin from January 6.
Chattogram Challengers owner Rifatuzzaman believed Chand’s inclusion will help spread the popularity of BPL amongst the Indian people and would create Chattogram’s fan base in the neighbouring country.
“We have picked him( Chand) as we wanted to have an Indian in our squad plus we can also have a fan base in India," Rifatuzzaman told the media after the draft.
