Taskin Ahmed had three previous opportunities to play in the IPL but couldn’t participate due to national team commitments and health issues which prevented him from getting clearance from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). This time, he was also part of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) draft, hoping for a franchise to select him, but that did not materialize either.
Following a match in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) on January 20, Taskin was questioned about the PSL draft. The fast bowler responded casually stated that he had no regrets about not being selected for the PSL.
In the press conference, Taskin said, "I'm not upset. What’s there to be upset about? If I can perform well for the national team, and play well wherever I play, many opportunities will come in the future. I’ve missed the chance to play in the IPL three times before. If this was something to be upset about, I would have hanged myself for missing IPL. I'm not upset, whatever is meant to be will come, InshaAllah."
Taskin was appointed as the captain of Durbar Rajshahi just on Monday. In his first match, his team suffered a 111-run defeat to Chittagong Kings.
Taskin considered both his bowling performance and the team's defeat as a tough day, saying, "The start was actually good. We dropped five catches. If we had scored 160-170 instead of 190, the outcome could have been different. Overall, it was a bad day. Yes, it happened in the previous match too and might happen again. What’s important is that if Allah keeps me healthy, I’ll play more in the future."
Rumors have resurfaced about Taskin playing in the IPL. In response, Taskin said, " No, perhaps if someone gets injured, they might reach out to me. But I haven't had any direct conversations with anyone. It's usually handled through agents."
Taskin’s father had expressed a wish to see his son play for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. Taskin completely avoided the topic, said, "I just want to play well for the Bangladesh team for a long time."
Taskin is in excellent form in the current BPL. Although the team's performance has been fluctuating, Taskin has consistently delivered strong performances. With 20 wickets in 9 matches, he is the tournament's leading wicket-taker.
Bd-pratidin English/ Afia
