Holder Gazi Group up against Agrani Bank in DPL opener

Defending champion Gazi Group Cricketers will take on newly promoted side Agrani Bank Cricket Club on the opening day of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League (DPL) season 2017-18 at BKSP Ground 3 Monday. DPL 2017 runners-up side Abahani Limited will face Khelaghar Samaj Kalyan Samity at BKSP 4 on the same day. The third game of the day will pit Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club against Shinepukur Cricket Club in Fatullah's Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium. The tournament trophy was unveiled in Dhaka’s Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in the presence of the 12 Premier League club captains and Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis members, led by its chairman Kazi Inam Ahmed Sunday. A total of 100 cricketers were picked in the DPL Players' Draft held last month. The two new clubs in the league, Shinepukur and Agrani Bank, had a brief players' draft to select five players before heading to the main draft ceremony.

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However, following the draft, two icon cricketers in the shape of Mashrafe bin Mortaza and Anamul Haque were transferred to Abahani, based on the tournament by-laws where two clubs can exchange or transfer a cricketer upon mutual understanding. Bangladesh ODI captain Mashrafe was initially picked by Shinepukur while wicketkeeper-batsman Anamul was picked by Khelaghar. Right-arm medium-pacer Hasan Mahmud was transferred to Khelaghar from Abahani. Abahani aided by the transfers ended up forming an eye-catching squad, boasting renowned cricketers like Nasir Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Sanjamul Islam, Saif Hasan, Mithun Ali, Taskin Ahmed and Mehedi Hasan Miraz. The current national cricketers engaged in the ongoing home series against Sri Lanka will be available for the tournament only from February 20. Bangladesh will take on Sri Lanka in the second and final Test match, starting Thursday. The two T20Is between the two sides will be played on February 15 and 18 respectively.