Seven Indian cricketers, including Hanuma Vihari and Abhimanyu Easwaran, will compete in the Dhaka Premier League 2022, which starts on Tuesday.
Bangladesh's only 50-over tournament will run concurrently with the Indian Premier League (IPL 2022), from March 26 to April 28.
Vihari will return to Abahani Limited, while Abhimanyu will turn out for Prime Bank. Both players have previously competed in the competition. They couldn't continue in the tournament because overseas involvement had been prohibited for the previous two years due to the COVID situation.
Chirag Jani, a Saurashtra all-rounder who played for Brothers Union a few years ago, has signed with Legends of Rupganj. Rupganj Tigers will be represented by Tamil Nadu all-rounder Baba Aparajith.
Rajasthan's Ashok Menaria will wear the Khelaghar shirt, while Parvez Rasool of Jammu and Kashmir will play for Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club.
Vihari, who played in India's 2-0 Test series victory over Sri Lanka on Monday, will be available starting March 21.
"I have been talking to Vihari since the Sydney Test in India's tour of Australia in 2020-21. It is good news for us. Our coach Khaled Mahmud Sujon and others also wanted Vihari. Afghanistan's Najibullah Zadran will be Vihari's replacement till the Indian is available," Azizur Rahim, Joint Secretary, Abahani Cricket, told Sportstar on Monday.
Clubs in Bangladesh typically scout players through agents based in various parts of India.
"At times, we also try to reach out to the player directly. We have been in touch with Vihari for a long time, so there was a relationship that was built over time," he said.
The salary for overseas players in the Dhaka Premier League varies, although Indian cricketers are paid well. "A good Indian player usually earns from 2,500 to 5,000 USD, since they are very good in these conditions," added Rahim.
The DPL features 11 teams, which will play each other once in a round-robin format. The top six teams then play each other in the Super League once. The bottom two teams from the league phase will be relegated to Dhaka's first division league.
