Tamim Iqbal opts out of BPL

Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal has decided not to take part in the upcoming Bangladesh Premier League, as he requested the board to exclude his name from the player's auction,scheduled on November 23.

The left-handed batter confirmed the development to Cricbuzz on Sunday (November 16).

"Yes (I am not taking part in BPL) as I have requested Shahriar Nafees (BCB cricket operation manager) to remove my name from players draft," Tamim told this website.

Since BPL's inception in 2012, Tamim had taken part in every edition of the tournament and was recognised as one of the most successful batters of the competition.

Tamim played a major role in guiding Fortune Barishal to consecutive titles as he excelled both as a leader and a batter on successive occasions.

However, Tamim's decision to opt out from the tournament did not came as a huge surprise considering there were several reasons that includes his health as well as Fortune Barishal decision to opt outfrom the tournament, citing short time to preparefor the tournament.

The 36-year-old has been away from professional cricket since March 2024, when he suffered a heart attackduring a domestic match and since that point he was focused on his recovery rather than returning to field at the earliest possible time.

Apart from that, he also seemed interested in joining cricket administration as he decided to enter the BCB election but later withdrew citingalleged government interference in the electoral process.