BPL captains 2023: The 2023 edition of the BPL will get underway in January, running until February 16 – here are the cricketers who will lead each side in the franchise league.

After Comilla Victorians finished as the winners of the 2022 tournament, the BPL is set to go again in 2023 with seven franchises this year as the Rangpur Riders return. Notable Bangladesh internationals are among the captains, with one overseas player also given charge of a franchise.

Each of the seven teams will compete in a double round-robin format before the four top placed sides progress to the knockout stages. The Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka will host the Eliminator, Qualifiers and Final. With a highly entertaining tournament last year, the return of the league for 2023 is much anticipated.

BPL captains 2023: Skippers of all seven franchises

Chattogram Challengers: Afif Hossain

The youngest bowler to take a T20 five-for on debut in 2016, 17-year-old Afif Hossain had arrived in the BPL with a bang. That five-wicket haul included Chris Gayle, no less. After three separate captains led Chattogram Challengers last year, Hossain takes of the rains full-time this year, as they attempt to win their first ever BPL title.

Comilla Victorians: Litton Das

Das takes over the reigns of Comilla Victorians from Imrul Kayes after their title winning campaign last year. In 2022, he scored 209 runs for a side that boasted the likes of Moeen Ali, Faf du Plessis and Sunil Narine. This year, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Abrar Ahmed are included in their squad, as they look to take back-to-back titles.

Dhaka Dominators: Taskin Ahmed

A tall pace bowler who starred for Bangladesh this year in the T20 World Cup, Taskin first made a name for himself in BPL 2013. He takes over captaincy of the Dhaka Dominators, renamed this year, from Mahmudullah who retired from T20I cricket last year. Dhaka Dominators will be going for their fourth BPL title, with Chaminda Vaas their head coach this year.

Fortune Barishal: Shakib Al Hasan

First captaining in the BPL in 2012, Shakib Al Hasan retains the captaincy of Fortune Barishal. He led the side to the final, where they lost by just one run to the Comilla Victorians in 2022, and was awarded five consecutive player of the match awards. Shakib is the all-time leading wicket-taker in the BPL, with 122 wickets at 17.40.

Khulna Tigers: Tamim Iqbal

Khulna Tigers will be Tamim’s sixth BPL side, but his first as captain after he retired from T20I cricket earlier this year. Bangladesh’s ODI captain has been appointed alongside head coach Khaled Mahmud Sujon to try and lead Khulna Tigers to their first BPL title.

Rangpur Riders: Shoaib Malik

The former Pakistan captain will lead the returning Rangpur Riders, who have been absent from the BPL for the last two seasons. Their squad includes Sikandar Raza, Haris Rauf and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Sylhet Strikers: Mashrafe Mortaza

After Ravi Bopara led a disappointing season for Sylhet last year, Mashrafe Mortaza will take over captaincy of the side. Sylhet managed only one win from their nine games in 2022, but having added Thisara Perera, Mohammad Amir and Dhananjaya de Silva to their squad, 2023 could be a brighter year for the side.