The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has confirmed that it has not yet made a decision regarding Rishad Hossain’s participation in the upcoming SA20 tournament. The uncertainty stems from a potential scheduling overlap between the South African league and the next edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Rishad made history as the first Bangladeshi cricketer to be signed by an SA20 franchise after joining Sunrisers Eastern Cape for the 2027 season.
The SA20 is scheduled to run from January 9 to February 4. While the BPL Governing Council has not yet officially announced the dates for its next season, the tournament is expected to take place within that same January-to-February window as the board aims to attract major corporate partners and resolve payment issues observed in previous years. Should the schedules clash, Rishad risks missing a second consecutive BPL season, having sat out the previous edition to compete for the Hobart Hurricanes in Australia's Big Bash League.
A BCB official emphasized that each No Objection Certificate (NOC) request is evaluated on an individual basis. The board noted that because no formal application has been submitted yet, a final determination remains pending. "If the BPL doesn't take place then, there are no problems. If it does, the board will have to look into it and take a decision," the official told reporters. The board clarified that previous instances of players missing domestic fixtures for international leagues do not guarantee future approvals, and each case will be assessed based on the circumstances at the time of the application.
Rishad enters the SA20 following a successful run in global franchise cricket. He secured 12 wickets for the Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League and delivered a standout performance for the Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL, where he claimed 15 wickets in 11 innings to finish as the tournament's joint-leading wicket-taking spinner.
