Tamim departs for Nepal to participate in EPL

|| CF DESK ||

Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal has left Dhaka early Friday morning for Nepal to participate in the Everest Premier League. The fourth edition of the T20 tournament is set to begin Saturday.

Tamim’s campaign with his team Bhairahawa Gladiators will begin Sunday against Pokhara Rhinos.

Left-handed opener will share the Bhairahawa dressing room with Sri Lankan cricketers Upul Tharanga and Dhammika Prasad as he is one of the major additions for the competition this year.

Tamim's participation in the competition will aid in his recuperation from a long-term knee ailment, according to Bangladesh Cricket Board chief medical Dr. Debashish Chowdhury.

“The way we had planned, Tamim playing in the Everest Premier League is part of his rehabilitation process. Match time will get us to assess how he is responding. We will set the next course of rehabilitation for Tamim based on the feedback from his experience in this tournament,” said Debashish to the media Thursday.

Tamim was forced to return home after suffering a knee injury during the T20I series against Zimbabwe in July. Later, during the two series against Australia and New Zealand at home, the swashbuckling opener took a break.

Tamim was expected to recuperate in time for the T20 World Cup, and the national selection panel had no doubts about include him in the squad.

Tamim, on the other hand, made the unexpected announcement on September 1 that he will not be available for the upcoming extravaganza in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, which will take place from October 17 to November 15.

The left-handed batsman cited a lack of preparation due to his knee injury, as well as a desire not to take the position of openers who have played in the format more frequently than him in recent times, as reasons for his abrupt choice.

EPL this season will also feature Pakistan star Shahid Afridi, Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza and Sri Lanka's Dilshan Munaweera and Seekkuge Prasanna among others.