The opening day of the National Cricket League (NCL) T20 was marred by rain as the highly anticipated match between Rangpur Division and Sylhet Division at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogura was abandoned without a ball being bowled.
Cricket returned to Bogura amid much fanfare, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) releasing 10,000 tickets for the occasion. According to board sources, tickets worth Tk 1,30,000 were sold. However, the excited home crowd was left disappointed as persistent rain forced the organisers to call off the match.
In Rajshahi, weather also played a disruptive role, but a five-over game was eventually possible between Dhaka Metro and Rajshahi Division. The match began at 12:50pm, more than three hours after its scheduled start. Rajshahi posted 60 for 3, with Sabbir Rahman hitting an unbeaten 33 off 15 balls. However, his efforts went in vain as Mahfizul Islam Robin led Metro to a seven-wicket win, smashing an unbeaten 30 off just 12 balls to seal the chase in 4.3 overs.
With continued heavy rainfall forecast in Bogura, the matches scheduled for 15 and 16 September have been moved to Rajshahi. The tournament will continue at both Rajshahi and Bogura venues until 19 September, after which it will shift to Sylhet.
As the NCL T20 is being held during the late monsoon season, rain is expected to remain a significant threat throughout the competition.
