BBL 2025-26: Shaheen, Rauf Chosen First; Archer Overlooked

The BBL 2025-26 draft goes with some weird picks. Shaheen Afridi went first to the Brisbane Heat. Jofra Archer has no team at all.

Pakistani bowlers did really well in the draft. Teams grabbed fast bowlers quickly this time. Women players also got picked by different teams.

Big Shock With Archer

Brisbane Heat took Shaheen Afridi with the first pick. The Pakistani bowler never played BBL before. He bowls left arm and goes really fast.

Melbourne Stars kept Haris Rauf instead of letting him go. Adelaide Strikers wanted Rauf badly but couldn’t get him. Rauf took 36 wickets in 22 BBL games before.

Also Read: IND vs ENG 2025: KL Rahul Speaks About the “Strange Feeling” Without Kohli-Rohit, A New Era Dawns in Indian Cricket

Adelaide Strikers picked Luke Wood after missing Rauf. Wood played for Melbourne Stars last year. He knows how to bowl on Australian pitches.

Nobody picked Jofra Archer which surprised everyone. Archer was free for the whole BBL season. The teams still didn’t want the England fast bowler.

Melbourne Renegades got Mohammad Rizwan for his batting. Rizwan keeps wickets for Pakistan and captains them too. He plays spin bowling really well.

BBL’s More Good Picks

Sydney Thunder picked Shadab Khan and Sam Billings. Khan spins the ball and hits sixes. Billings keeps wickets and scores runs fast.

Hobart Hurricanes got Rehan Ahmed who spins the ball. Ahmed already played Tests for England. He’s still a teenager but bowls really well.

Also Read: IND vs ENG 2025: Kapil Dev Feels Confident About “Talented” Shubman Gill for Winning the Upcoming Test Series

Teams signed some players before the draft started. Babar Azam joined the Sydney Sixers before the draft. Colin Munro went to the Brisbane Heat early too.

WBBL Get Their Stars

Women’s draft went smoother than the men’s one. Sydney Sixers picked Sophia Dunkley first. She bats for England and scores lots of runs.

Adelaide Strikers chose Sophie Ecclestone next. Ecclestone bowls spin for England and gets wickets. She’s one of the best women bowlers right now.

Also Read: BREAKING: England Announces Playing 11 Against India for Leeds Test

Most teams kept their good players from last year. Brisbane Heat kept Jemimah Rodrigues who bats well. Hobart Hurricanes held onto Danni Wyatt-Hodge too.

Players like Sophie Devine and Nat Sciver-Brunt stayed with their teams. These stars scored runs and took wickets last season. Teams didn’t want to lose them to others.