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Bangladesh left-arm pacer Shariful Islam emerged as the most expensive player at the D Three Trophy auction, securing a deal worth 2.30 crore auction points with Citizens Bank.
The auction for the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) new domestic tournament, featuring all three formats of the game, began at a hotel in Dhaka on Monday, with Indian commentator, presenter and quizmaster Charu Sharma conducting the proceedings.
BCB president Tamim Iqbal, who was present at the event, told reporters before the auction began, “I am just a spectator today.”
He later joined discussions about players’ prices and the teams’ strategies, expressing surprise at the prices commanded by several cricketers.
Unlike conventional auctions, players at the D Three Trophy auction are valued in ‘auction points’ rather than monetary amounts. Shariful, who belongs to Category A, topped the list with 2.30 crore points.
Experienced pacer Taskin Ahmed was the next most expensive player, joining Walton for 2.10 crore points. Among batters, opener Tanzid Hasan secured the highest bid, with Fortune Group signing him for 2 crore points.
The D Three Trophy is a new BCB initiative designed to bring together three formats of domestic cricket in a six-team competition. Each franchise must assemble a 22-player squad covering all three formats through the auction.
A total of 275 cricketers were listed for the auction, with 132 set to be picked by the six teams. Players were divided into five categories, each with a designated base value: 40 lakh points for Category A, 30 lakh for Category B, 20 lakh for Category C, 10 lakh for Category D and five lakh for Category E. Each team can spend a maximum of 10 crore points.
Under the existing domestic cricket payment structure, players will receive equal match fees regardless of their auction value: Tk 1.5 lakh for a first-class match, Tk 1 lakh for a one-day match and Tk 80,000 for a T20 fixture.
The BCB has introduced the auction format to make the tournament more attractive and reflect players’ perceived value in the domestic circuit.
Major signings
Fortune Group made an aggressive start, signing Soumya Sarkar for 75 lakh points before acquiring Bangladesh Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto for 1.55 crore points and Tanzid for 2 crore.
Seven Rings secured Saif Hassan for 1.95 crore points, while Blue Star signed pacer Hasan Mahmud for the same amount.
Citizens Bank acquired wicketkeeper-batter Zakir Ali for 1.80 crore points, while Bangladesh ODI and T20 captain Litton Kumar Das will represent Walton for 1.5 crore points. Seven Rings also signed pacer Syed Khaled Ahmed for 1.5 crore points.
In Category B, Sabbir Rahman was the most expensive player at the time of reporting, joining Fortune Group for 1.02 crore points.
Pacer Mustafizur Rahman went to Seven Rings for 70 lakh points, while Fortune Group signed leg-spinner Rishad Hossain for 60 lakh points. Both players are set to feature in the Big Bash League in Australia, meaning they will be unavailable for the D Three Trophy’s T20 competition but are expected to be available for the one-day tournament.
Pacer Nahid Rana, who is recovering from an injury, joined Blue Star for 75 lakh points, while left-arm spinner Taijul Islam was acquired by Seven Rings for 80 lakh points.
All six teams had already selected their icon players before the auction.
Tournament schedule
The D Three Trophy will begin with its T20 competition on December 15. Most matches, including the opening fixture and final, will be held in Barishal, while seven matches are scheduled for Mirpur.
The four-day competition will take place in January, followed by the 50-over tournament in May.
A total of 42 matches will be played across the three formats, including 19 T20 matches, 16 one-day matches and seven four-day fixtures.
The tournament also marks the BCB’s first management draft in domestic cricket, through which the franchises selected their head coaches, assistant coaches, trainers and physiotherapists last month.