The IPL 2024 auction featured over 500 cricketers, including 12 from Bangladesh. Despite being shortlisted based on franchise interest, no Bangladeshi players were picked. Only two names—Mustafizur Rahman and Rishad Hossain—were called during the auction. This raises the question: why did Bangladeshi players fail to attract bids, especially when expectations were higher than ever?

One of the primary reasons Bangladeshi players missed out was their limited availability. IPL franchises planned squads with a three-season outlook, but most Bangladeshi cricketers couldn’t guarantee participation for all three seasons. This automatically reduced their appeal compared to players with consistent availability.

Historically, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has been reluctant to provide full IPL NOCs, which impacted franchises’ trust. Although BCB was willing to grant NOCs this year, IPL authorities demanded availability assurances for three consecutive seasons. BCB couldn’t fulfill this requirement, putting Bangladeshi players at a disadvantage.

Mustafizur Rahman, a regular in IPL teams, failed to secure a bid this time. When his name was called, most franchises had already exhausted their budgets. Mustafizur’s base price was ₹2 crore, but many teams lacked the funds to meet it.

Moreover, Mustafizur’s abrupt departure from IPL 2023 to play a series against Zimbabwe left a negative impression on franchises. Industry whispers suggested players with uncertain commitments would be overlooked this year—a prediction that came true in Mustafizur’s case.

Despite being a high-profile name, Shakib Al Hasan didn’t even have his name called at the auction. This was largely due to timing. By the time Shakib’s turn came, franchises had already completed their squads. At a base price of INR 1 crore, Shakib found no takers, even though players like Moeen Ali and Karim Janat in similar categories secured contracts.

Promising players like Taskin Ahmed, Litton Das, and Shoriful Islam had potential but couldn’t assure availability beyond this season. Despite some hype around young talents like Rishad Hossain and Naim Sheikh, none managed to attract bids.

Another significant factor was the unprecedented demand for Indian players. Many Indian uncapped players fetched prices in the crores, leaving limited budgets for foreign players. Consequently, players like Shakib and Mustafizur, whose names came up later in the auction, couldn’t spark bidding wars.

The omission of Bangladeshi players sparked frustration among fans, with many accusing franchises of bias. Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter were filled with criticism, claiming Bangladeshi cricketers were unfairly overlooked despite their talent.

The absence of Bangladeshi players in IPL 2024 highlights the challenges they face in securing consistent opportunities in the tournament. Moving forward, resolving issues around availability and building stronger relationships with franchises will be crucial for Bangladeshi cricketers to make their mark in future IPL seasons.