The IPL auction brought a mix of anticipation and disappointment for Bangladeshi cricket fans, as names like Mustafizur Rahman and Rishad Hossain were called but went unsold. Despite his reputation as a T20 specialist and a former Purple Cap holder, Mustafizur—nicknamed the “Cutter Master”—failed to attract interest from any franchise, including his previous team, Chennai Super Kings.

For Rishad Hossain, this was his debut appearance in the IPL auction. However, the 75-lakh base-priced leg spinner didn’t manage to secure a bid either.

Mustafizur’s IPL journey has seen him represent franchises like Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, and Delhi Capitals in the past. Yet this year, none of these teams, nor any new franchise, opted to add him to their roster.

In the same auction pool, other big names like David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson, Adil Rashid, Ben Duckett, and Dewald Brevis also went unsold, showing the high level of competition this year.

This year’s auction pool was the largest in IPL history, with 1,574 cricketers registering their names initially. The BCCI shortlisted 574 players based on franchise preferences, including 13 from Bangladesh—the highest number of Bangladeshi players ever shortlisted. However, only 12 remained in the final auction pool after one withdrawal.