KKR's IPL Champion Leaves India to Play Bangladesh Premier League

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is finally set to have an auction after a gap of 12 years. The first two editions of the tournament (2012 and 2013) had auctions. But the last nine editions of the tournament adopted a players' draft format. Many players from around the world have featured in the league, but the occurrence of Indian players in BPL hasn't happened before.

This is set to change now as a star Indian cricketer is set to be featured in the auction for the 12th edition of BPL. This player is seen as one of the best bowlers in IPL history with plenty of wickets under his name. Now, he will be aiming to shine in the BPL as well.

Piyush Chawla Becomes First Indian to Feature In BPL Auction

Ex-India bowler and Kolkata Knight Riders' IPL champion, Piyush Chawla, has made history by becoming the first Indian player to be featured in the BPL auction. It is also a significant milestone for the Bangladesh Premier League, as this will open new opportunities for the league, particularly Indian viewership. The BPL Governing Council has confirmed that the auction will be held on November 30.

Chawla has already retired from international cricket. The announcement was made in June 2025, and most of the reports suggested that it was because he had not been picked in the IPL 2025 auction.

Even though Chawla was an experienced leg-spinner and had taken 192 wickets in 192 matches, no franchise made a bid for him in the IPL. In 2023, Chawla performed outstandingly for the Mumbai Indians, the five-time champions, by taking 22 wickets, but it is said that the age factor was the reason why he wasn't picked.

BCCI's Policy For Indian Players In Overseas T20 Leagues

The Board of Control for Cricket in India allows only retired players to participate in the foreign T20 Leagues. However, players who are still active require a No Objection Certificate to take part, and this has limited their involvement in some of the biggest cricket leagues in the world like SA20, Big Bash League, BPL, and others. Hence, Indian players in overseas T20 leagues is a rarity.

Earlier this year, Dinesh Karthik, who was seen as one of the best wicketkeepers in India, made his debut in SA20, while recently another former India cricketer, Ravichandran Ashwin, was signed by BBL's Sydney Thunder. However, Ashwin had to pull out of the league due to an injury.

Piyush Chawla BPL presence can light up the league as he can be the first among Indian players in BPL. Since Chawla has also retired from international cricket, he has also registered for the 12th edition of BPL. However, it would be interesting to see if he gets any bids from the teams or not. The tournament will kick off on December 26, 2025.