West Indian T20 superstar Andre Russell joined the former champions of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Rangpur Riders, for the playoff phase of the ongoing season of the BPL. 

Russel has been a regular face in the BPL. But this year, he did not participate from the beginning. 

The inclusion of the West Indian all-rounder, who boasts over 50 BPL appearances, is certain to raise the Riders' spirits as they face the challenges of the playoffs.

The Riders advanced to the playoff as the third-best team on the points table. They recorded eight straight matches in the league phase before enduring four consecutive defeats. 

Now, in the first eliminator of this year’s BPL, the Riders to face Khulna Tigers on Monday afternoon. 

The winner of the eliminator will qualify for the second qualifier match, and the loser will end their BPL campaign as the fourth team. 

While Rangpur are taking on Khulna in the eliminator, Fortune Barishal and Chittagong Kings will lock horns in the first qualifier on the same day.

The winner will march to the final, and the loser will take on the winner of the eliminator in the second qualifier on Wednesday. 

The BPL final will take place on Friday, February 7, at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

Bangladeshi wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim is set to feature for Fortune Barishal in the forthcoming Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Mushfiqur had played for Sylhet Strikers in the last edition. His price was fixed at 80 lakhs in the players' draft according to the category. Which means he was in 'A' category.

The top category player will play along with other star players like Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Khaled Ahmed in Fortune Barishal.

Neymar said he was relishing “new challenges and opportunities in new places” after he joined Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal Tuesday, becoming the latest big name lured to the oil-rich Gulf state.

The Brazil forward, 31, ends a six-year stay in the French capital and follows in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane in swapping Europe for the Middle East.

“I have achieved a lot in Europe and enjoyed special times, but I have always wanted to be a global player and test myself with new challenges and opportunities in new places,” Neymar said in a statement from the Saudi Pro League.

“I want to write new sporting history, and the Saudi Pro League has tremendous energy and quality players at the moment,” he added.

Neymar was “in negotiations” on Sunday to become the latest football superstar to decamp for Saudi Arabia, leaving Paris Saint-Germain just as Kylian Mbappe was brought back in from the cold by the French champions.

A source close to PSG told AFP that 31-year-old Neymar “no longer figures in the club or manager’s plans” with the Brazilian immediately linked to Al-Hilal in the Gulf kingdom.

Another source in Saudi Arabia said that “direct negotiations” between Neymar’s agents and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) were ongoing.