Bangladesh players may not be fully available for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 due to international commitments. Bangladesh will play a six-match white-ball series against New Zealand in the IPL window, and several players may miss part of the tournament or become unavailable after the mini-auction.
With just a few days left for the IPL auction, teams are finalizing their plans and strategies. Seven players from Bangladesh have registered for this year’s auction and some of them are likely to go under the hammer. Mustafizur Rahman is the most proven IPL campaigner among the group, but there is curiosity about other players too.
Bangladesh Cricket Board releases official statement on player availability for IPL 2026
However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board has played down concerns over player availability for the IPL. Chairman of cricket operations Nazmul Abedin said that the board will allow Bangladeshi players to participate in most of the IPL season.
He said that the players will be recalled only for the minimum period required to complete international duties, as the BCB wants them to get maximum exposure by playing in the IPL.
“We will give him NOC for most of the IPL because we want him to play as much as possible, so we will bring him in for the minimum requirement (for the white-ball series against New Zealand),” Nazmul Abedin told Cricbuzz on Sunday.
Bangladesh players facing availability concerns ahead of IPL auction
Seven players from Bangladesh have registered for the IPL auction, with base prices ranging from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 2 crore. Mustafizur Rahman is the only player who is expected to attract bids from franchises.
The left-arm fast bowler may not be fully available due to national team duties. He may later join the tournament as a replacement player, as was the case in previous seasons.
Other Bangladesh players in the auction include Rishad Hossain (Rs 75 lakh), Taskin Ahmed (Rs 75 lakh), Tanzim Hasan Shakib (Rs 75 lakh), Nahid Rana (Rs 75 lakh), Mohammad Shoriful Islam (Rs 75 lakh) and Rakibul Hasan (Rs 30 lakh).
Bangladesh are scheduled to play a six-match white-ball series against New Zealand in April, which clashes with the IPL window. Franchises can give priority to players who can play the entire season and keep Bangladesh players as backup or replacement options if needed.
BCCI will inform franchises about the availability of foreign players before the IPL auction.
Player availability is very important in the IPL, especially when it comes to foreign players. To help teams plan better, the BCCI will meet all ten franchises on December 15 and share updates about the possibility of overseas players being available.
The rules of the auction will remain the same. Franchises must still pay the full salary amount for any player they acquire, even if the player misses part of the season.
The auction rules read, “For the purposes of this player auction, the expected unavailability of a player for part of the IPL 2026 season will be ignored. The entire amount of the annual league fee bid (assuming 100% availability) will be deducted from the salary cap. However, to assist franchises in determining their strategy, BCCI will give the expected availability for each relevant player for the IPL 2026 season.”
Also read: Brendon McCullum breaks silence on Jofra Archer’s explosive fight with Steve Smith in Brisbane
