Dhaka Capitals move on without Shakib Khan

Lights, camera… no more cricket cap! Dhallywood’s reigning superstar Shakib Khan has officially exited the BPL scene – no dramatic slow-mo walk-off, just a quiet fade to black from his role as co-owner of the Dhaka Capitals.

Last season, Khan brought the glitz of Dhallywood to the cricket pitch, turning gallery seats into front-row red carpets and blurring the lines between sixes and star power. 

Though the Capitals didn’t quite light up the points table, they certainly lit up social media – thanks largely to Khan’s magnetic presence. Fans were buzzing: was this the start of a bold new crossover era in Bangladeshi sports?

Not so fast.

Fast-forward to today’s high-stakes player auction at the Radisson in Dhaka, and guess who’s not in the room? That’s right—Shakib Khan is nowhere to be seen. And for good reason: he’s no longer part of the Dhaka Capitals franchise.

Turns out, the team’s former ownership under Remark-Harlan – the company once linked to Khan’s SK Films – has handed the reins to Champion Sports. Official word from the franchise? Crisp and clear: Shakib Khan is not involved this season. And SK Films confirmed he stepped down as director of Remark-Harlan long ago, severing all ties – including those to the Capitals.

So while six teams – Dhaka Capitals, Sylhet Titans, Rangpur Riders, Noakhali Express (welcome, rookies!), Rajshahi Warriors, and Chittagong Royals – gear up for the revamped BPL (now kicking off on December 26, with the final on January 23), Dhaka’s marquee name is conspicuously absent from the ownership box.

Is Khan heartbroken? We tried calling. No answer. But don’t worry – he’s not sulking. He’s busy wielding a rifle, not a bat, on the sets of his upcoming action-packed film ‘Soldier’, co-starring Tanjin Tisha and Jannatul Ferdous Oishi. Rumour has it the film’s slated for an Eid-ul-Fitr release – just in time to remind fans why he’s still Dhallywood’s box-office king.

So, farewell, cricket mogul Shakib. The pitch may miss your flair, but the silver screen? It never let you go.

Game on, Dhaka – but this season, the spotlight’s strictly on the players.