The Bangladesh Premier League will begin in Sylhet on 26 December, the Bangladesh Cricket Board confirmed, ending weeks of speculation over where the country’s lone franchise competition would start.
The tournament, which in recent years has opened in Dhaka, was earmarked for a fresh beginning in Sylhet by the BPL governing council. Rumours circulated that an accommodation shortage might force a return to Dhaka for the opening fixtures, but the final schedule released roughly four weeks before the first match contained no such change.
Explaining why the league will still open in Sylhet, a BCB official told Cricfrenzy, “If we started in Dhaka, we would have had to move back to Sylhet within a few days. There is a logistical issue there. Even though the accommodation situation was tight, we managed to work around it. We expect everything to run smoothly.”
According to the schedule, the tournament will start at the Sylhet International Stadium with a match between Sylhet Titans and Rajshahi Warriors. On the same day, Noakhali Express will face Chattogram Royals. Six teams will play across three venues, with Chattogram and Dhaka joining Sylhet on the roster. Although additional venues had been discussed, that plan did not materialise.
After the opening leg in Sylhet, the competition will move to Chattogram before returning to Dhaka for the final stretch. Sylhet will host 12 of the 34 matches, as will Chattogram, while Dhaka’s Sher e Bangla National Cricket Stadium will stage 10 fixtures, including the eliminator, both qualifiers and the final. The Dhaka phase is scheduled to begin on 16 January.
The eliminator and first qualifier will take place on 19 January in Mirpur, with the second qualifier set for 21 January after a one day break. The final is slated for 23 January, and reserve days have been allocated for all knockout matches.
