'Cricket and cinema together have created an explosion'

Although the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is still two and a half months away from starting, its buzz has already begun. The involvement of Bangladeshi cinema megastar Shakib Khan as a team owner has added a new dimension. Today, at the BPL draft held at the Sonargaon Hotel in the capital, Shakib garnered special attention. Speaking to the media afterwards, he mentioned that cricket and cinema have combined to create an explosion.

Shakib's company Harlan is part of Dhaka's ownership. The biggest star in contemporary Bangladeshi cinema expressed his excitement about being involved in cricket. Sharing his dream, Shakib said, "A new chapter in my life has begun. Honestly, I've always wanted, I dreamed, of finding a way to combine cinema and cricket. How they can progress together, because we all know that cinema brings thrill and excitement, and cricket brings excitement on the field. When these two powerful forces come together, it can create an explosion, a new epic could be written."

Shakib stated that he already sensed something special would happen when he purchased the BPL team, bridging cinema and cricket. He added, "When we announced our team ownership, we sensed it right away. You've all seen the love we've received, both at home and abroad, from fans of cinema and cricket; it feels like an explosion. Everyone is showing so much love, so much excitement, that we can hardly contain our emotions."

Shakib has an equal love for cricket as he does for cinema. In his words, "We are Dhaka Capitals, a new team this time. But our company, Remark and Harlan, has always supported Bangladesh cricket, in all formats and tournaments, both home and abroad. We love cricket, and we've always wanted the rise of Bangladesh cricket. We love Bangladesh's cricket as much as we love Bangladesh's cinema."

Shakib believes that this year's BPL will be special. Expressing his faith in the new management that came in after the political shift, he said, "Seeing the excitement of the fans, it feels like the enthusiasm we had during the first BPL when we thought, 'Yes, this is our BPL,' is back. This time it will be special; this year's BPL will be spectacular. The new management, our beloved people, are all working hard. From the board president to everyone else, they want to reshape the BPL with a goal of reaching new heights, and they are working hard towards that goal."

Shakib Al Hasan is the number one in cricket, and Shakib Khan holds the same title in cinema. Both are now in the same arena. Will this year's BPL be even more glamorous? Shakib said, "I've already mentioned how the competition will be. This time it will be a joyous competition, a sweet yet mischievous rivalry. Based on what we've seen so far, doesn't it feel like this BPL will be something special? It's going to be full of excitement."

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has been a team owner in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since its inception, owning the Kolkata Knight Riders. When asked if Shakib had similar plans, he replied, "Certainly no imitation. We're doing it in our own way, but the concept is similar. We've always wanted to combine the two biggest areas of entertainment – cinema and cricket – and they've been doing that from the start."