During the NCL T20 2009–10 season, the team adopted the name Sultans of Sylhet and played in yellow and blue colors. However, with the tournament's restart after long break in 2024, the team decided to drop the "Sultans of Sylhet" name and continue competing under their original divisional name.
Sylhet’s home ground, the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, holds 13,500 fans and is a proud landmark of the city. In 2024, Sylhet ended their long wait for silverware by winning their first-ever National Cricket League (NCL) title, the country’s top First-Class competition. This historic victory marked the end of a trophy drought that stretched all the way back to their inaugural National One-Day League win in 2001–02.
History
Sylhet Division has a long and storied history in cricket, dating back to the time when it was part of British India. The first-ever recorded cricket match in the Indian subcontinent was played in Sylhet,[1][2] History of Cricket in Sylhet marking the region's early involvement in the sport.
Despite its historical significance, the Sylhet Division cricket team struggled in Bangladesh's First-Class (FC) competitions, National Cricket League (NCL), for much of its existence.[3] The team faced difficulties in competing at the highest level and was often near the bottom of the standings. However, Sylhet achieved notable success in limited-overs formats, notably winning the inaugural One Day league in 2001. Afterward, the team performed moderately well before the league was eventually defunct.
In the late 2000s, the team transitioned to the T20 format, playing their first NCL T20 under the name "Sultan of Sylhet." With their mediocre performance, Sylhet continued to feature in the NCL, often finishing at or near the bottom of the standings until the 2019-20 season.
A turning point came with the emergence of a powerful pace bowling attack, featuring the likes of Ebadot Hossain, Khaled Ahmed, Tanzim Sakib, and veteran Abu Jayed. This bowling quartet, regarded as the best in the country’s history, played a pivotal role in Sylhet's revival. The 2019-20 season saw Sylhet finish first in NCL Tier 2, securing promotion to Tier 1 for the first time in the team’s history, signaling the start of a new era.
In the 2021-22 season, following the COVID-19 hiatus, Sylhet continued its ascent, finishing third in the standings. Over the next two seasons, the team proved to be one of the most competitive in the league, claiming runners-up positions in both. These performances highlighted the team's transformation into a formidable force in domestic cricket.
Sylhet's crowning achievement came in the 2024-25 season, when the team ended a 24-year trophy drought by winning their first-ever NCL title.[4] This victory, along with their earlier ODI league win in 2001, marked the team’s second major domestic title. The success was largely driven by the team's exceptional pace attack, with Khaled, Ebadot, Tanzim Sakib, Rezaur, and Rahi forming a dominant and highly effective bowling unit. Their performances were so impressive that other teams sought to borrow their pacers for domestic competitions.
Amite Hasan, the team’s captain, was another key contributor to Sylhet's success. As the league's top scorer in the 2024-25 season, his leadership and batting prowess were vital in guiding the team to their long-awaited triumph. While batting depth remains an area of concern, the pace attack's dominance has helped Sylhet become a competitive force in domestic cricket once again.
Sylhet has also produced several notable players who have represented Bangladesh on the international stage. In the early 2000s, players such as Alok Kapali, Rajin Saleh, Enamul Haque Jr., Tapolas Baishya, and Najmul Hossain were key members of the Bangladesh national team, showcasing the region's cricketing talent. However, after 2007-08, the production of top-tier cricketers from Sylhet declined, resulting in a period of stagnation.
The recent emergence of Zakir Hasan, who has established himself in the Bangladesh Test team, along with Jaker Ali, Tanzim Sakib, and Nasum Ahmed, has rejuvenated the region’s cricketing reputation. With several current players regularly featuring for Bangladesh, Sylhet continues to make its mark on the national cricket scene.
From a period of struggle to a period of resurgence, the history of the Sylhet Division Cricket Team reflects the development of a competitive side, particularly with the emergence of a strong pace attack. The team’s recent success in winning the NCL title in the 2024-25 season represents a significant milestone in the region's cricketing history.
The 2010 National Cricket League Twenty20 tournament in Bangladesh, abbreviated as NCL 2010 or the NCL T20 2010 or or Destiny Group NCL T20 2009-10, 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.
The players auction for the 2012 Bangladesh Premier League was held on 19 January 2012 at the Hotel Radisson, Dhaka. Each franchise can sign a total of 10 local players and 8 foreign players, and can play up to 5 foreign players in each match. Each franchise will also have one domestic icon player in their team. Players were allowed to set their base price between $20,000 to $100,000.
The East Zone cricket team or Islami Bank East Zone is a first class cricket team that represents eastern Bangladesh in the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL). It is a composite team of two Bangladeshi first-class teams: Chittagong Division and Sylhet Division. East Zone has played in the BCL from the opening 2012–13 season.
Sylhet Strikers is a professional cricket franchise team based in Sylhet, Bangladesh. The team competes in the Bangladesh Premier League. The franchise made its debut at the 2012 Bangladesh Premier League.
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.
Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, better known as simply Ebadot Hossain, nicknamed 'Sylhet Rocket' due to his speed and skill, is a Bangladeshi cricketer. He made his international debut for the Bangladesh cricket team in February 2019. He is also an active soldier of Bangladesh Air Force he is one of two cricketers who are also active soldiers along with Sheldon Cottrell of the West Indies.
Khulna Tigers is a franchise Twenty20 cricket team representing the Khulna division in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), a Twenty20 cricket tournament. The franchise was owned by Gemcon Sports and was founded in 2016 as a replacement for the Khulna Royal Bengals who had participated in the first two seasons of the BPL. The Tigers use Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Sylhet International Cricket Stadium and Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium for home games.
The Bangladesh Premier League 2017, also known as BPL Season 5 or AKS BPL 2017 Powered by Shah Cement, was the fifth 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 features seven teams from seven different cities. The season began on 4 November, and ended on 12 December 2017, with the defending champion, Dhaka Dynamites played against newbies Sylhet Sixers in the first game at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
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.
Tanzim Hasan Sakib is a Bangladeshi cricketer, who is a right-arm fast-medium bowler. He plays for Sylhet Division in domestic cricket.
The 2019–20 Bangladesh Premier League players draft took place on 17 November 2017.
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 2022 National Cricket League was the twenty-fourth edition of the National Cricket League (NCL), a first-class cricket competition held in Bangladesh. The eight teams taking part were placed into two tiers, with Chittagong Division getting promoted to Tier 1 after their victory in Tier 2 of the 2021–22 season, replacing Khulna Division who were relegated. The tournament started on 10 October 2022, and concluded on 17 November 2022 with Rangpur Division as champions, their second NCL title. This edition of the tournament was the first to use the Dukes cricket ball, rather than the SG ball used in previous editions.
The players' draft for the 2022–23 Bangladesh Premier League took place on 23 November 2022 at Le Meridian Hotel in Dhaka.
The 2024–25 National Cricket League Twenty20 also known as NCL T20 2024–25 or Al-Arafah Islami Bank presents National Cricket League Twenty20 2024–25 powered by Walton, was the second edition of the Twenty20 competition element of the National Cricket League (NCL). The tournament is organised by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). The eight teams representing seven of the divisions of Bangladesh and the metropolitan area of Dhaka. The tournament was played from 11 December 2024 to 24 December 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
