Having retired from the international arena earlier this year, former South African batsman AB de Villiers is set to take the field again and will be featuring for Rangpur Riders in the 2018-19 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League.
In what is their second signing outside the draft, which is set to take place on Sunday, October 28, Riders have roped in De Villiers setting up an incredible batting line up that also includes Chris Gayle, as well Alex Hales, whom they signed earlier this month.
This only adds to the attraction of the league, as BPL also has other prominent signings with David Warner to be playing for Sylhet Sixers and Andre Russell for Dhaka Dynamites. Sylhet has also got in Nepal legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane too, while Khulna signed USA fast bowler Ali Khan, who captured everyone's imagination by his performance in the CPL 2018.
Dhaka picked up Hazratullah Zazai, who recently hit six sixes in an over in the just concluded inaugural Afghan Premier League.
Before the draft, each team has six players in their squad and are allowed to sign a maximum of 12 local and nine overseas players, with a compulsion of playing four overseas in their XI every game, this season.
Having picked five overseas players among their current squad of six, Dhaka is likely to focus mostly on local players in the draft, while Rangpur could add allrounders and spinners to their strong squad, which has a good batting line up and bowling prowess of Mashrafe Mortaza and Nazmul Islam.
Sylhet, on the other hand, have their top four confirmed with Warner, Liton Das, Nasir Hossain and Sabbir Rahman and hence, are most probably going to try and strengthen their middle to lower order, as well as their bowling which already includes Sohail Tanvir and Lamichhane.
During the draft, the A+ category (USD 200,000) will include Shahid Afridi, Imran Tahir and Evin Lewis, while category A (USD 150,000) will include Mohammad Hafeez, Faheem Ashraf, Thisara Perera, Lasith Malinga and Darren Bravo.
The BPL kickstarts on January 5 and is set to run till the final on February 8.
(Inputs from ESPNcricinfo)
