Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain wants to play in the Indian Premier League, but he鈥檚 not expecting too much since if he doesn鈥檛 get picked up by a franchise in the auction, it鈥檒l hurt.
Rishad is among the 574 players set to be featured in the mega auction of the world鈥檚 biggest T20 league, which will be held on November 23 and 24 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
鈥楨veryone has a wish [to play in the IPL]. But I don鈥檛 expect too much. I don鈥檛 hope too much so that I don鈥檛 have to get hurt,鈥� Rishad told reporters prior to the Global Super League in Guyana, where he would play for Rangpur Riders.
Apart from Rishad, 11 other Bangladeshi players鈥擬ustafizur Rahman, Liton Das, Taskin Ahmed, Towhid Hridoy, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Shakib Al Hasan, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, and Nahid Rana鈥攚ill be auctioned, with 70 spots being available for the overseas players.
Mustafiz was the only Bangladeshi player to feature in the last year鈥檚 IPL, where he played for the Chennai Super Kings.
But Rishad doesn鈥檛 want to think too much about it.
鈥業 didn鈥檛 think about the BPL draft either. I try to be normal; everything is in Allah鈥檚 hands. Let鈥檚 see what happens. But I鈥檓 quite confident,鈥� said the leggie.
鈥楨veryone has good days and bad days. That鈥檚 why I don鈥檛 expect too much. When the situation arrives, then I鈥檒l see what could be done鈥�, he added.
Rishad, who has so far represented his country in 27 T20Is and four ODIs, came to prominence after taking 14 wickets in last year鈥檚 T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies.
He was then drafted for the Big Bash League team, the Hobart Hurricanes. But as the BBL fixture clashes with Bangladesh鈥檚 upcoming series against the West Indies and the BPL, Rishad is not sure whether he will be available for that tournament in Australia.
Rishad, though, didn鈥檛 have a good time in India, where he bowled at an economy rate of 14.11 in the three-match series.
He was wicketless in the only ODI he played against Afghanistan. But he continued to work on his bowling in recent times.
鈥業鈥檝e worked on my line, length, and variations. I hope that I鈥檒l do well in the upcoming series,鈥� he said.
The 22-year-old leg spinner鈥檚 focus is now on the five-team Global Super League, where Rangpur starts their campaign on November 27 with the match against Hampshire Hawkes.
Rishad isn鈥檛 thinking too much about it either.
鈥業鈥檝e not set any goals. I want to move match-by-match. I鈥檒l go with the normal plan. As our four oppositions are different. I鈥檒l try to give my best.鈥�