Piyush Chawla Goes Unsold After Historic BPL Auction Registration

In a surprising turn of events at the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) auction held on November 30, 2025, veteran Indian leg-spinner Piyush Chawla went unsold. This came as a shock to many, considering he had previously made history by becoming the first Indian cricketer to register for the BPL auction.

Chawla's inclusion in the auction pool was a significant moment, as the BPL has never featured an Indian cricketer in its auction before. For years, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has generally barred Indian players from participating in overseas franchise leagues. The BCCI has not typically issued clearance for its contracted cricketers to join such tournaments, making Chawla's registration a potentially precedent-setting development. However, since Chawla has retired from international cricket, he is eligible to participate in the BPL.

The BPL's Governing Council confirmed November 30 as the auction date for the league's fresh auction, marking a return to this format after a 12-year hiatus. The first two iterations of the tournament in 2012 and 2013 used auctions, but the subsequent nine editions adopted a player draft system. For the auction system, both local and overseas players were categorized with structured base amounts and bidding increments. The highest category for overseas players, like Chawla, started at USD 35,000, with increments of USD 5,000.

Chawla's recent performances in the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament for the Ajman Titans, where he took seven wickets in six matches, had kept him on the radar of franchises. Despite his experience and success in spin-friendly conditions, he did not attract any bids.

The 12th edition of the BPL in 2026 will feature five teams: Noakhali Express, Rajshahi Warriors, Rangpur Riders, Sylhet Titans, Dhaka Capitals, and Chattogram Royals.

Mohammad Naim was the most expensive player in the auction, acquired by Chattogram Royals for Tk 1 crore 10 lakh after starting with a base price of 50 lakh. Towhid Hridoy was the second most expensive player, picked up by Rangpur Riders for Tk 92 lakh. Besides Chawla, veteran Pakistani player Shoaib Malik also went unsold.

While Chawla's unsold status is surprising, his participation in the auction may open doors for other retired Indian players to participate in overseas leagues in the future.