West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell will captain Rajshahi Royals in the seventh edition of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), starting December 11 in Dhaka.
On the eve of the start of the tournament, Russell revealed why he prefers BPL over Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL).
"The tournament [BPL] is more fun and it is shorter and so less time away from home," Russell told reporters. "I get a lot of love here. The hospitality and everything is amazing. You get a warm welcome on this side of the world. I never really think twice. Once I heard this was happening, new rules, new teams, new owners and new franchise. I was interested to be part of it. I wanted to get the ball rolling."
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Russell has previously won the BPL title with Comilla Victorians and Dhaka Dynamites. For this season, he is honoured to get the leadership responsibility and expressed his determination to perform well for his side.
"I am honoured to be given the responsibility of leading the team. Regardless, I always look at myself as a player in the heat. I have a very big role in any team I play for. It is going to be something new for me outside the Caribbean. I have led Jamaica Tallawahs before. It will be interesting and I am up for a challenge," he said.
Russell also gave an insight into the strength of his team which includes renowned T20 players like Shoaib Malik, Ravi Bopara and Hazratullah Zazai among others, and their chances in the showpiece event.
"I won't say we have the best squad but we have a good team on paper. It is a good start for any captain, coach and any team. We want to use the experience of each player, which will put us in the right foot. We have a few good local talents. I have been watching videos, seeing what they can do. We have a balanced squad including local and international fast bowlers. We have good options," he said.
Rajshahi Royals will start their BPL 2019-20 campaign against Dhaka Platoon on December 12.
(Inputs from Cricbuzz)
