The history of cricket in Bangladesh predates the foundation of the Bangladeshi state in 1971 by nearly two centuries. Cricket was introduced to Bengal by the British in the eighteenth century but its growth in East Bengal was slow. Following Partition and the creation of East Pakistan, both first-class and Test cricket were played there during the 1950s and 1960s. Although cricket continued to be popular after independence, especially in Dhaka, the country lost first-class status and had to establish itself in international competition as an Associate Member of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The National Cricket League is the oldest domestic first-class cricket competition in Bangladesh. It is contested by teams representing seven of the eight regional divisions of Bangladesh as well as a team from the Dhaka metropolitan area.
The Khulna Division cricket team is a first-class team representing the Khulna Division in south-west Bangladesh, one of the country's eight administrative regions. The team competes in the National Cricket League and was a participant in the now-defunct National Cricket League One-Day. In the short-lived National Cricket League Twenty20 competition, played in the 2009–10 season only, Khulna adopted the name Kings of Khulna and played in black and yellow. The equivalent team in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is the Khulna Tigers.
The Rajshahi Division cricket team is a Bangladeshi first-class team representing the Rajshahi Division, one of the country's seven administrative regions. The team competes in the National Cricket League and was formerly a participant in the now-defunct National Cricket League One-Day. In the short-lived National Cricket League Twenty20 competition, played in the 2009–10 season only, Rajshahi adopted the name Rajshahi Rangers and played in their official grey, black, and red colours. The equivalent team in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is the Rajshahi Royals.
Cricket is the most popular dry season sport in Bangladesh. It is played nationwide through the months of November to May. Governance of the sport is the responsibility of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), which was established in 1972.
Mominul Haque is a Bangladeshi cricketer who is a former captain of the Bangladesh national team in Test matches. He is a left-handed batter.
The 2010 National Cricket League Twenty20 tournament in Bangladesh, played in April 2010, this was first edition of a Twenty20 league involving the teams in the National Cricket League (NCL). The tournament was initiated by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). It included six teams representing the divisions of Bangladesh. It was a limited success and has effectively been replaced by the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The tournament was won by the Rajshahi Rangers who defeated the Kings of Khulna by 6 wickets in the final at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, the winning team's Qaiser Abbas being named "Man of the Match".
Dhaka Capitals is a professional franchise cricket team that plays in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). They represent Dhaka Division.The team plays their home matches at the SBNCS. Dhaka is the one of the most successful BPL franchise, having won three BPL titles in the BPL, it has appeared in 5 finals and qualified for the playoff stages 7 times, the most amongst the BPL teams. The team competes in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and was one of the six franchises incorporated when the league was established in 2012.
Bangladesh Premier League, also known as Dutch-Bangla Bank BPL for sponsorship reasons, is a professional Twenty20 Cricket league organised by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). It was formed in 2011 by the BCB, after the suspension of its predecessor organisation, 2009/10 National Cricket League Twenty20. The first season was held in February 2012, and the games were held across Dhaka and Chittagong. The BPL is headed by the chairman of its Governing Council.
The Rangpur Division cricket team is a Bangladeshi first-class team representing the Rangpur Division, the northernmost of the seven administrative regions in Bangladesh. The team competes in the National Cricket League (NCL). Their home venue is the Rangpur Cricket Garden in Rangpur City. Rangpur are a recent addition to the NCL, having joined in 2011–12, and won their first title in 2014–15. The equivalent team in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is the Rangpur Riders.
The 2012–13 season in Bangladesh was the thirteenth in which first-class cricket was played at the domestic level. The main domestic competitions were the National Cricket League (NCL), the new Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) and the second edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Internationally, there was a tour by the West Indies.
The Bangladesh Premier League 2016, also known as BPL Season 4 and AKS BPL 2016 was the fourth season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the top level professional Twenty20 cricket franchise league in Bangladesh. The competition was organised by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and featured seven teams. The season originally began on 4 November 2016 and ended on 9 December 2016. However, after the first four matches of the tournament were abandoned due to rain and with more rain forecast, the league opted to restart on 8 November and to replay all of the opening six matches.
The 2016–17 National Cricket League was the eighteenth edition of the National Cricket League, a first-class cricket competition that was held in Bangladesh. The tournament started on 25 September 2016 and concluded on 6 January 2017. Khulna Division were the defending champions.
Mohammad Nayeem Hasan is a Bangladeshi cricketer. He made his first-class debut for Chittagong Division in the 2016–17 National Cricket League on 10 October 2015. He made his Test match debut for the Bangladesh cricket team in November 2018, taking five wickets in the first innings. In the process, he became the youngest bowler to take a five-wicket haul on debut in Tests, at the age of 17 years and 356 days.
The 2017–18 National Cricket League was the nineteenth edition of the National Cricket League, a first-class cricket competition that was held in Bangladesh. The tournament started on 15 September 2017, with eight teams placed into two tiers. The top team in Tier 2 were promoted to Tier 1 for the next season, with the bottom team in Tier 1 relegated to Tier 2. Khulna Division were the defending champions.
The 2018–19 National Cricket League was the twentieth edition of the National Cricket League (NCL), a first-class cricket competition that was held in Bangladesh. The tournament started on 1 October 2018, with eight teams placed into two tiers. Khulna Division were the defending champions.
Mahidul Islam Ankon is a Bangladeshi cricketer. He made his List A debut for Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity in the 2017–18 Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League on 5 February 2018. Prior to his List A debut, he was named in Bangladesh's squad for the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
The 2019–20 National Cricket League was the twenty-first edition of the National Cricket League (NCL), a first-class cricket competition that was held in Bangladesh. The tournament started on 10 October 2019, with eight teams placed into two tiers. The matches were used as the national team's preparation for their Test series against India in November 2019. Rajshahi Division were the defending champions.
The 2020–21 National Cricket League is the twenty-second edition of the National Cricket League (NCL), a first-class cricket competition that is being held in Bangladesh. The tournament started on 22 March 2021, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) using the tournament as preparation for Bangladesh's tour of Sri Lanka in April 2021. The eight teams taking part were placed into two tiers, with the tournament scheduled to end on 29 April 2021. Khulna Division are the defending champions.
The 2024–25 National Cricket League, also known as Modhumoti Bank NCL for sponsorship reasons is the 26th edition of the National Cricket League, a first-class cricket competition in Bangladesh. Unlike previous seasons, there was no two-tier system – all eight teams played every other team. Dhaka Division was the previous season's champion. The tournament was scheduled to begin on October 14, 2024, but the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) tournament committee ruled that rain had rendered several stadiums, including those in Bogra and Khulna, unsuitable for play. As a result, the first round began on October 19, and instead of concluding on November 28, the tournament ended with the final round which began on November 30. Afterwards, the 2024–25 National Cricket League Twenty20 series was scheduled to run from December 11 to December 23.
Yasir Ali
