Despite initial neglect in BPL, Mahmudullah thanks Rangpur, lets performance speak

On 30 November, the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) auction surprised cricket fans as no team showed interest in Mahmudullah Riyad. Despite his name coming up in the first round, no franchise stepped forward, and he was overlooked even compared to several national team players. Eventually, Rangpur Riders signed him, and that too using his original category fee.

Mahmudullah Riyad, the match-winner against Sylhet Titans: On Friday, 2 January, Mahmudullah played a match-winning innings of 34 runs off just 16 balls, leading his team to victory. This performance demonstrated that he continues to be a vital asset for any BPL team.

On the surprising auction scenario: Mahmudullah expressed his astonishment during the press conference, saying,

“Yes, I was watching (the auction) and I was truly very surprised. I was honestly stunned.”

Gratitude to Rangpur Riders: Eventually, Rangpur Riders brought him into the squad from his own category. Speaking on this, Mahmudullah said,

“Honestly, I really want to thank Ishtiaq Bhai and the Rangpur Riders franchise. They gave me this opportunity. Because I wanted to play in the BPL. So for that, I truly want to express my gratitude to the franchise, the team owners, and the coach and captain.”

Confidence in his own performance: Mahmudullah did not blame himself for not being picked initially. He believes that his performance over the past few years has outshone many national team players. He said,

“Because I think, if you look at the statistics or graphs of the last two years, even the last three years, then I feel many national team players were probably not even close to my numbers, especially in terms of strike rate, average, and runs scored.”