Bangladesh cricketers Shakib al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman have been listed at the maximum base price of INR 2 crore ($269,000 approx) for the 2022 Indian Premier League auction.
A total of 49 cricketers – 17 Indians and 32 overseas players – chose base price at maximum slot.
Nine Bangladeshi cricketers have registered their names for the auction that is going to take place in Bangalore on February 12 and 13.
Shakib and Mustafizur are the only Bangladeshi players to participate in the biggest T20 league of the world on regular basis.
All-rounder Shakib has won two IPL titles with Kolkata Knight Riders while Mustafizur on his debut IPL season won the trophy with Sunrisers Hyderabad, and was the first overseas player to be named the best emerging player in IPL in 2016.
England's Ben Stokes, Australia's Mitchell Starc and veteran West Indies big-hitter Chris Gayle are among the stars missing from the upcoming auction for the IPL, media reports said Saturday.
More than 1,200 cricketers from India and 18 countries across the world have registered to go under the hammer in Bangalore for the 15th edition of the world's most lucrative cricket tournament.
Other notable absentees from the long list of players in the bidding pool for the IPL - expected to begin in April depending on the Covid situation in India - are the English trio Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran, the reports said.
Stokes and Woakes both participated in England's recent disastrous Ashes tour of Australia.
Captain Joe Root - who has never played in the IPL - is also sitting out the auction although fast bowler Mark Wood is on the list along with Australian stars David Warner and Pat Cummins.
Ten teams will bid and participate in this year's IPL after the addition of two new franchises, Ahmedabad and Lucknow.
India's opening batter Kannur Lokesh Rahul will captain Lucknow after he was signed as the joint-highest-paid player, for 170m rupees ($2.3m), in the history of the tournament.
Former Indian captain Virat Kohli was signed for the same amount in 2018 by the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise.
"I have been very impressed by KL not only with his batting and wicket-keeping abilities, but his leadership skills," Lucknow team owner Sanjiv Goenka told Star Sports.
Ahmedabad, which was purchased by global private equity giants CVC capital, announced Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya as the team's skipper.
The franchise also signed Afghanistan's leg-spinner Rashid Khan for 150m rupees ($2.1m) and young Indian batter Shubman Gill for 80m rupees.
Gary Kirsten, former South African batter and mentor for the Ahmedabad franchise, said it was an opportunity for Hardik as "a young and new captain".
"I think he will be really motivated to come in and make a plan and show what he is capable of at this level of the game as a leader," Kirsten said.
With Covid cases rising, the Board of Control for Cricket in Indiais yet to give dates for the IPL or to confirm it will take place in India.
The last edition began in India but was suspended in May 2021 as cases soared and was completed later in the year in the United Arab Emirates, with Chennai Super Kings emerging as champions.
