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The Bangladesh Premier League is the most high-profile cricket league played in the nation of Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi cricket team has improved a lot in the limited overs formats recently, and a major share of the credit for the success goes to the Bangladesh Premier League.
The BPL has 7 franchises, and a lot of foreign players have joined the league this year.
The 2019 edition will be the 6th season of the league, and Rangpur Riders will enter the tournament as the defending champions, having defeated the Dhaka Dynamites in the final of the 5th season.
While several big names of the T20 world like Andre Russell, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine and Shakib Al Hasan have been playing in the league over the years, the sixth season of the BPL will have 5 new stars playing for the first time. Here are those players:
#5 Sandeep Lamichhane
Nepalese teenager Sandeep Lamichhane has become a big name in the T20 format ever since he was picked up by the Delhi franchise in the IPL last year. Lamichhane made his IPL debut in 2018 and soon became a regular in the various T20 leagues all over the world.
He was recently a part of the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League where the leggie's impressive performances helped his side gain some crucial points in the league.
Lamichhane has left Australia and he will be playing in the BPL 2018-19 which will start from the 5th of January. He will represent the Sylhet Sixers in the Bangladesh Premier League, and the leg-spinner would try to solidify his bid to place Nepal on the global map.
#4 Steve Smith
The former Australian Test captain Steve Smith has been playing several T20 leagues around the world after being banned by the Australian Cricket Board from playing international cricket for one year.
Smith participated in the Global T20 league in Canada before making his debut in the Caribbean Premier League earlier this year. He had registered his name for the Bangladesh Premier League but the franchises opposed his inclusion in the league. However, this decision was soon overturned as the BCB wanted Smith to play in the league.
Also Read - BCB changes rules to allow Australian batsman to play in 2019 BPL
The talismanic Australian batsman will make his BPL debut playing for the Comilla Victorians in the 2018-19 season. Tamim Iqbal has been chosen as the captain of Smith's team, and it will be interesting to see how far the Victorians progress in the league.
Follow Sportskeeda for all the latest Bangladesh Premier league Points Table, schedule, stats & previews.
#3 AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers retired from international cricket in 2018, stating that he had run out of fuel, but the Proteas batsman has continued to entertain his fans by playing in T20 leagues around the world. He has been a cornerstone of the Royal Challengers Bangalore for years, and Mr. 360 was seen playing the Mzansi Super League of South Africa in December 2018.
De Villiers will make his BPL debut in 2019 and he will reunite with his former RCB team-mate Chris Gayle in the Rangpur Riders squad. The Riders are the defending champions of the BPL and the duo of Gayle and De Villiers would try their best to retain the title.
Mashrafe Mortaza will lead the Rangpur Riders in 2019.
After the Bangladesh Premier League, AB de Villiers will make his PSL debut in 2019 as well.
Follow Sportskeeda for all the latest Bangladesh Premier League schedule, scores, stats & previews.
#2 Sherfane Rutherford
Caribbean batsman Sherfane Rutherford made headlines during the IPL Auction of 2018-19 when he received a huge bid from the Delhi Capitals. The West Indian batsman is still a rookie in the game but his performances in the Caribbean Premier League gave him the spotlight that he needed.
Rutherford has represented the Windies in only one T20I thus far (against Bangladesh in December 2018), and he is yet to make his ODI and Test debut for his nation. However, the Guyanese cricketer's rocking performances with the bat in the CPL have made him one of the hottest commodities in the T20 leagues around the world.
The 20-year-old left-handed batsman will make his BPL debut in the upcoming season where he will be seen donning the Khulna Titans jersey.
Follow Sportskeeda for all the latest BPL live scores, stats & previews.
#1 David Warner
David Warner was also banned by Cricket Australia due to the infamous ball-tampering scandal, and the left-handed aggressive batsman has been playing in several T20 leagues worldwide along with Steve Smith.
The duo have played leagues in Canada, West Indies and now will soon make their debuts in the Bangladesh Premier League and Pakistan Super League. Warner will be a part of the Sylhet Sixers side which also has Sandeep Lamichhane in the squad.
Warner has been elected as the captain of the Sylhet Sixers side, and the Aussie player would love to take his franchise all the way to the title in the 6th season of the Bangladesh Premier League.
With such big stars taking part in the BPL 2018-19, expect the tournament to treat the Bangladeshi cricket fans with a heavy dose of exciting cricket.
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