Outside of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), domestic cricketers have had limited opportunities to showcase their skills in the T20 format. That gap was filled by the NCL T20, which took place in December last year. The tournament, held across two grounds in Sylhet with 8 teams, saw some highly competitive cricket. Building on that momentum, the second edition of this domestic T20 competition is set to begin in September.
Although the tournament was first held on a smaller scale in 2010, it didn’t make a return until last year. On Sunday, speaking to the media at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, BCB’s Chief Coordinator of Programs, Minhajul Abedin Nannu, confirmed the upcoming edition of the NCL T20. He mentioned that this year, the tournament would be held across three venues.
Nannu stated, “Last time, the tournament was organised in a very short time. This time, we’ve chosen three venues. The tournament committee has requested three grounds from the grounds committee, and things are moving forward accordingly. It’s confirmed that the tournament will take place at all three venues.”
While Nannu did not specify the exact start date of the tournament, he revealed that the NCL T20 will begin in the second week of September. According to BCB sources, the tournament is expected to run from September 15 to October 4.
There has always been a demand among cricketers for more T20 competitions outside of the BPL. This year, the domestic cricket calendar in September and October will fulfil that demand. During this time, national team players will be busy with the Asia Cup in the UAE, which means the NCL T20 will feature only local cricketers.
Performing well in this tournament could increase the chances of domestic players securing spots in the BPL’s upcoming draft. For many cricketers, their livelihoods depend on the domestic season, making this a vital opportunity for them.