Rangers face Cyclone in NCL T20 opener

Rajshahi Rangers will face Cyclone of Chittagong in the opening match of the newly-launched National Cricket League Twenty20 competition on April 11, the Bangladesh Cricket Board said.
The BCB unveiled six franchises – Barisal Blazers, Cyclone of Chittagong, Dhaka Dynamites, Kings of Khulna, Rajshahi Rangers, Sultans of Sylhet – at a colourful ceremony on Wednesday.
The owners of the franchises were also introduced in the ceremony which followed the players’ auction.
Bexmico Group has bought Dhaka Dynamites while Neel Sports, a company owned by IFIC Bank chairman Lutfar Rahman took over the Cyclone of Chittagong.
ATN Bangla chairman Mahfuzur Rahman has bought Kings of Khulna and MN Group bought Rajshahi Rangers.
Riz Events, an event management firm, bought Sultans of Sylhets, while a business consortium led by BCB director Aziz Al Kaiser bought Barisal Blazers. Each franchise cost the owners Tk 65 lakh.
The BCB named a mega icon and three icons for each franchise and rest of 119 cricketers were distributed through a lottery.
The mega icons are: Mohammad Ashraful (Dhaka), Tamim Iqbal (Chittagong), Sakib al Hasan (Khulna), Naeem Islam (Rajshahi), Shahriar Nafees (Barisal) and Alok Kapali (Sylhet).
The icon players are: Mahmudullah, Jahirul Islam and Mahbubul Alam (Dhaka); Aftab Ahmed, Rubel Hossain and Foysal Hossain (Chittagong); Abdur Razzak, Imrul Kayes and Dollar Mahmud (Khulna); Junaed Siddique, Shafiul Islam and Sohrawardi Shuvo (Rajshahi); Farhad Reza, Nazmul Hossain and Mosharraf Hossain (Sylhet); Roqibul Hassan, Nazimuddin and Ziaur Rahman (Barisal).
In the lottery, Dhaka Dynamites have roped in Shamsur Rahman, Mohammad Rafique, Nur Hossain, Emon Ahmed, Abul Hossain, Nabil Samad, Mohammad Shazada, Mehrab Hossain Jr.
Cyclone of Chittagong bought Nasir Hossain, Uttam Sarkar, Enamul Haque Jr, Saqlain Sajib, Marshal Ayub, Kamrul Hossain, Nafees Iqbal, Sharifullah, Talha Jubair and Tanvir Haider.
Rajshahi Rangers picked up Sanjamul Hossain, Shuvagoto Hom, Nadif Chowdhury, Mukthar Ali, Khaled Mashud, Hannan Sarkar, Ejaj Ahmed, Delwar Hossain, Anisur Rahman and Taposh Ghosh.
Kings of Khulna bought Mohammad Mithun, Imtiaz Hossain, Alahuddin Babu, Tushar Imran, Farhad Hossain, Mohammad Sharif, Elias Sunny, Tareq Aziz and Nizamuddin Ripon.
Sabbir Ahmed, Rony Talukdar, Syed Rasel, Shubhasish Roy, Arafat Sunny, Shaker Ahmed, Sahgir Hossain, Mahmudul Hasan, Robiul Islam and Monir Hossain were picked up by Barisal Rangers.
Mashrafee bin Murtaza, Nazmul Hossain, Ariful Islam, Jubair Ahmed Nazmus Sadat Dhiman Ghosh, Amit Majumder, Fariduddin Mashud, Gazi Salahuddin and Rajin Saleh were taken by Sultan of Sylhets.
The players will be paid by the franchise owners according to their category. All the players including the icons and mega icons were divided into five categories – A+, A, B, C and D.
Each franchise would be allowed to register maximum six overseas players, but only two of them will be allowed to play in a game.