The Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) has drafted the tentative fixture for the 2026-27 club cricket season, with the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League (DPL) set for a major change in its traditional calendar.
The DPL, which is usually played in April and May, is now scheduled to begin on February 10 and continue until April 17, according to the tentative fixture obtained by TIMES of Bangladesh. The schedule also includes a week-long break for Eid-ul-Fitr from March 7 to 14.
The 12-team DPL will feature 84 matches across six venues over 67 days. The proposed venues are Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, BKSP grounds 2, 3 and 4, Cricketers Academy and Bashundhara Sports City.
A BCB official confirmed that the initial fixture has been prepared and said the upcoming season would return to the full-fledged format after last season’s unusual arrangement.
“Yes, we have drafted the initial fixture. The Dhaka League is scheduled to begin on February 10. Unlike last season, there won’t be a single league. We will host a full-fledged league this time,” the BCB official told TIMES.
The previous DPL season was heavily disrupted by a boycott, with 52 clubs initially refusing to participate under the Aminul Islam Bulbul-led BCB board. Following the dissolution of that board over irregularities, Tamim Iqbal took charge of the BCB. Under the new board, the clubs eventually agreed to participate in a single-league competition.
The upcoming season, however, will return to the traditional structure, with the tournament set to include a first phase, Super League and relegation league.
The BCB will also continue its initiative of providing food for the cricketers during the competition. However, the board has significantly increased its financial allocation for the clubs, raising it from Tk 10 lakh last season to Tk 25 lakh for each club this season.
The DPL will be part of a packed Dhaka club cricket calendar, with one-day and T20 competitions scheduled across the different divisions. Overall, the season is expected to feature 786 matches.
The First Division Cricket League is scheduled to get underway on November 15 and continue until January 7. Twenty teams will compete across six venues in the First Division one-day competition, with a total of 124 matches scheduled.
Following the completion of the one-day tournament, eight teams will qualify for a T20 competition, which is scheduled to be held from January 10 to 20, 2027.
The Second Division one-day competition is scheduled to begin on January 25 and continue until February 20.
A total of 24 teams will participate in the tournament, with 168 matches planned. The first phase will see the teams divided into two groups, followed by a Super League. The relegation league will be played in a single-league format.
The Second Division T20 tournament will then feature 12 teams from the one-day competition. It is scheduled to run from February 23 to March 5, 2027.
The T20 competition will comprise 33 matches, including 30 first-phase games, two semi-finals and the final. The participating teams will be divided into four groups during the first phase.
The Third Division one-day competition is scheduled from March 15 to May 7, with 20 teams set to compete in 124 matches. The teams will be divided into two groups during the first phase. The Super League and relegation league will subsequently be played in a single-league format.
The Third Division T20 tournament will follow shortly afterwards, with the competition scheduled to be completed within 12 days, from May 20 to 31.
The pathway to the following season’s Third Division will also be decided through a qualifying tournament. As many as 64 teams are expected to compete in the qualifying event, which is scheduled from June 1 to 15.
The qualifying competition will feature 184 matches, providing clubs outside the existing Third Division structure with an opportunity to earn promotion into the next season’s tournament.
The Dhaka club cricket calendar will conclude with the CCDM Cup. Four teams will participate in the competition, which will consist of seven matches. The tournament is expected to bring the curtain down on what is set to be one of the busiest domestic club cricket seasons in Dhaka.
With the DPL moving from its traditional April-May window to February, the CCDM’s proposed calendar represents a significant restructuring of the capital’s club cricket season. If approved, the schedule will see competitions running almost continuously from November 2026 through June 2027, while restoring the full-fledged format of the country’s premier domestic club competition.
