Bangladesh Premier League

History

2012 (1st edition)

The first edition of the league officially kicked off on 9 February 2012, with a lavish opening ceremony at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. Shariar Islam Mozumder Shawon was the owner and organizer of BPL. The initial player auction was held on 18 and 19 January 2012 and the first match in the tournament was staged on 9 February 2012 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium between Sylhet Royals and Barisal Burners. The first Bangladesh Premier League season's final game was between Dhaka Gladiators and Barisal Burners, with Dhaka Gladiators emerging as champions after winning by eight wickets. All matches in the first edition of the league were held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium and Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in the country's second-largest city Chattogram.

2013 (2nd edition)

Rangpur Riders were added as a seventh team for the second season. Dhaka Gladiators again emerged as champions beating Chittagong Kings in the final by 43 runs. Once again Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka hosted the final. For most of the matches, the MA Aziz Stadium, replaced the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram due to higher capacity and Khulna Divisional Stadium in Khulna (third-largest city) was added as the third venue.

The owners of Dhaka Gladiators were handed a lifetime suspension by the governing committee. A number of players and administrators were handed bans for match-fixing, including the former captain of Bangladesh, Mohammad Ashraful.

2015 (3rd edition)

Following the match-fixing scandal and political issues of the country the league was not played in 2014. It returned in 2015 with six new franchises and it was held in the winter season unlike spring previously. Comilla Victorians won the competition, beating Barisal Bulls by three wickets. Leading up to the 2016–17 edition of the league, the Sylhet Super Stars, were suspended following breaches of disciplinary regulations, and two new franchises, Khulna Titans and Rajshahi Kings, were introduced, bringing the number of teams in the competition back to seven.

2016 (4th edition)

The 2016 BPL draft was held on 30 September. Prior to the draft, the seven clubs signed 38 foreign players to contracts and each existing franchise was able to retain two home-grown players from the 2015 season. A total 301 players participated in the draft, including 133 local and 168 foreign players. 85 players were selected in the draft. Dhaka Dynamites, captained by Shakib Al Hasan, topped the group stage table, whereas Rajshahi Kings, led by Darren Sammy, stood at the fourth position. Dynamites beat Khulna Titans in the Qualifier 1 and went to final. Rajshahi Kings defeated Chittagong Vikings and Khulna Titans respectively in Eliminator and Qualifier.

In Final after winning the toss, Kings' captain D. Sammy elected to field first. The Dynamites scored 159 runs in 20 overs with a loss of 9 wickets. They scored 23 runs in the opening partnership. Evin Lewis top scored for the Dynamites with 45 runs. Kings' bowler Farhad Reza took 3 wickets for 28 runs. The Kings failed to build a good opening partnership. After scoring 60 runs, they started losing wickets and couldn't hold on. The Dynamites won the match and their 1st title by a wide margin of 56 runs. Kumar Sangakkara was named the man of the match. This was the 3rd title for a Dhaka franchise in BPL.

Khulna Titans' skipper Mahmudullah was made the player of the tournament since he scored the second most runs (384) and defended less than 7 runs in the last over of the 2nd innings in more than one instance.

2017 (5th edition)

It was the fifth season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The competition was organised by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and featured 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 Sylhet Sixers in the first game at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

Barisal Bulls were excluded from the tournament, after failing financial terms and conditions.

Group stage matches was played in three blocks. The first and third blocks took place in Dhaka with the middle block of 10 matches taking place in Chittagong. Two matches were played on each day of the group stage part of the tournament. The first four matches of the tournament were washed out after heavy rain and the two matches scheduled to take place on 6 November were postponed. The tournament was restarted on 8 November with the first six fixtures to be rescheduled at a later date. The matches from the opening day of fixtures was replayed with the points table reset.

In the Finale, Rangpur Riders defeated Dhaka Dynamites to win their first title. In the final match Chris Gayle was awarded the man of the match award and also won player of the series award. He was the leading run scorer in the tournament with 2 banger centuries (146* of 69 and 126 of 51 ) and a total tally of 485 runs. Shakib Al Hasan was the leading wicket taker with 22 wickets.

2018–19 (6th edition)

Originally, the season was scheduled to start on 1 October 2018 and end on 16 November 2018. However, in May 2018, it was reported that the tournament might be moved to January 2019, because of security concerns around the Bangladeshi general election, which took place in December 2018. In July 2018, it was confirmed that the tournament would start in January 2019. For this edition of the tournament, the Decision Review System (DRS) were used for the first time.

In the 2018–19 Bangladesh Premier League final, the Comilla Victorians defeated Dhaka Dynamites by 17 runs to win their second title. In the final match, Tamim Iqbal was awarded the man of the match award, after scoring 141 not out. Rilee Rossouw was the leading run scorer in the tournament with 558 runs. Shakib Al Hasan was the leading wicket taker with 22 wickets and also won the player of the tournament award.

2019–20 (7th edition)

Rajshahi Royals defeated Khulna Tigers by 21 runs in the final match. Royals skipper Andre Russell was elected as both Man of the match for the final and Player of the Tournament for his all-round performances and for leading his side to their maiden BPL title.

2021–22 (8th edition)

The 2022 season was initially scheduled to start in March 2021. However, the tournament was postponed and rescheduled to be held from 21 January to 18 February 2022. In December 2021, all six teams were announced, with Rangpur Rangers and the defending champion Rajshahi Royals being excluded, a franchise from Barisal was included and Comilla Victorians also returned after a year's break. Initially, Rupa Steel & Marn Group owned the Dhaka franchise, but a day before the players' draft their ownership was terminated due to non compliance of rules. However, the Minister Group took ownership of the franchise after the players' draft. Due to the unavailability of technical teams the DRS system could not be used in this season. Initially, BCB decided to allow spectators this year, however, due to the rise of Omicron variants, the board backed out from its decision and decided to play behind closed doors.

The two points table topper teams Fortune Barishal and Comilla Victorians reached the final. In the final, Comilla Victorians defended 151 runs to win their third title in a thrilling 1-run victory. Sunil Narine was the Player of the Final for his all-round performances. Shakib Al Hasan, captain of the runners-up team, Fortune Barishal, received the Player of the Tournament award for his all-round performance, having scored 284 runs in 11 innings and picked up 16 wickets.

2023 (9th edition)

BCB announced the list of franchise owners in September 2022, with five of the previous six franchises retaining ownership and the return of Rangpur Riders after two seasons. On 24 December 2022, BCB announced the fixtures for this season with two matches to be played per day in the group stage and having reserve days for all of the knockout matches.

In the final, Comilla Victorians defeated Sylhet Strikers by 7 wickets to win their second successive and overall fourth title.

2024 (10th edition)

In the opening match, Durdanto Dhaka defeated the then defending champions Comilla Victorians in the first match. But surprisingly, that was their only win and had to face defeats all the way. Many international players also played in this season, namely Imran Tahir, James Neesham, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller etc, making this season a remarkable one.

Fortune Barishal stopped Comilla Victorians winning back-to-back-to-back titles by defeating them in the final. Barishal won their first ever title in this tournament.

2025 (11th edition)

In the opening match, Fortune Barishal beat Durbar Rajshahi by 4 wickets at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka and Mahmudullah was player of the match.

Rajshahi have been dogged by financial problems from the start of this BPL. Local players hadn't received any payments prior to the start of the tournament as they are usually played 25% before the tournament starts. They boycotted a training session in Chattogram last month, while the overseas players boycotted a match. Burl and Haris eventually made themselves available to play and helped them stay in contention for a playoff finish, but they fell short on net run rate.

In the final match, Fortune Barishal crafted the second-highest chase to win a final in men's T20 cricket, knocking off 195 against Chittagong Kings with three wickets and three balls to spare. And with that they had successfully defended their BPL crown, having come into this season as defending champions. The packed house at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka was treated to Barishal captain Tamim Iqbal striking a rapid fifty, before Kyle Mayers did the running in the middle overs and Rishad Hossain's two sixes sealed things.

2026 (12th edition)

The 12th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL 2026) commenced on December 26, 2025, and is scheduled to conclude with the grand final on January 23, 2026. Organised by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), this season features a streamlined roster of six franchises—Noakhali Express, Dhaka Capitals, Chattogram Royals, Rajshahi Warriors, Rangpur Riders, and Sylhet Titans—competing in a double round-robin format followed by a four-match playoff stage. The tournament is being hosted across two major venues: Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, and Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka.

The tournament faced initial challenges, including the cancellation of a grand opening ceremony in Dhaka due to security concerns (replaced by a low-key event in Sylhet) and ownership changes for the Chattogram Royals just 24 hours before the start. Despite these hurdles, the league has maintained high viewership through platforms like T Sports and Nagorik TV.

The league has progressed with high-intensity action, serving as a vital competitive platform for both veteran stars and emerging talents ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup.

The final was held in Sher-e-Bangla International Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on 23rd January 2026.In the final, Rajshahi Warriors won against Chattogram Royals by 63 runs. The final started after an electrifying opening ceremony.Rajshahi Scored 174 losing 4 wickets, with Tanzid Hasan Tamim scoring a century. However, Chasing this huge total,Chattogram were bowled out scoring 111 in 17.5 overs. Rajshahi bowlers Binura Fernando and Hasan Murad took 3 and 4 wickets respectively.Tanzid Hasan Tamim was the Player of the match and bowler Shoriful Islam was the Player of the Tournament, taking 26 wickets in the whole tournament.

League organisation

At a corporate level, the Bangladesh Premier League considers itself an association made up of and financed by its member teams. All income generated through television rights, licensing agreements, sponsorship, ticket sales and other means is earned and shared between the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the participating franchises. The league is controlled by a Governing Council (GC). As the parent organisation, the Bangladesh Cricket Board appoints the GC's members.

As of the 2025–26 season, the league consists of six franchises. Each team plays every other team twice in the round-robin stage of the competition with the teams with the top 4 advancing to a series of play-off matches. These lead to a championship match in which the league champion is decided.

Teams

Franchise history

Player selection

The first two editions of the BPL (2012 and 2013) utilized an auction system for franchises to acquire players for their squads. However, from 2015 to 2025, players were selected through a draft system.

With IMG taking over the organization of the BPL from 2026 season, franchises advocated for the return of the auction system. As a result, the Bangladesh Cricket Board has reintroduced the auction system from 2026 BPL season.

Tournament seasons and results

Finals

All finals in the competition have been played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium at Mirpur.

Overall team performances

Records include all matches played under the name of a franchise, even where the franchise has been suspended and re-created as a new organization.

Note:

• The win percentage excludes no results.

Overall team standings

• C: Champion
• RU: Runner-up
• PO: Play Off
• DNP: Did not participate

Team performances

Rivalries

North Bengal Derby

The Rajshahi-Rangpur rivalry is a cricket rivalry between two franchises, the Rajshahi Warriors and the Rangpur Riders, in the Bangladesh Premier League. This rivalry is often referred to as the "North Bengal Derby". Both teams have won the BPL trophy once. Rajshahi has reached the playoffs a total of four times, while Rangpur has also made it to the playoffs four times.

BPL Clásico

The Dhaka-Comilla rivalry was a cricket rivalry between two franchises, Dhaka Capitals and Comilla Victorians in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), known as the BPL Clásico. They are the two most successful teams in BPL winning a combined 7 titles out of the 10 BPL seasons. Dhaka and Comilla have historically engaged in some of the most iconic clashes in the BPL. It is considered to be the biggest and iconic match in Bangladeshi domestic cricket. Dhaka Capitals and Comilla Victorians produced some intense nail bitting clash. BPL Clásico is the oldest domestic cricket rivalry in Bangladesh. Many legendary cricketers have played for both teams. some notable players are Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Andre Russell, Kiron Pollard, Shahid Afridi.

North-South Derby

The Barishal-Rangpur rivalry was a cricket rivalry between the BPL teams of Fortune Barishal and Rangpur Riders in the Bangladesh Premier League. It is the biggest rivalry of the BPL and is often referred to as the North-South Derby of the Bangladesh Premier League. Shakib and Tamim incident started the hype of the rivalry and is still constant. The rivalry became more intense when, during the 2024 Bangladesh Premier League faceoff between the two teams in playoff round. Rangpur won 1 title and played playoffs 4 times. Other hand Barishal played in final 5 times and won 2 times, also played playoffs 1 time in BPL.

East-West Derby

The Rajshahi-Chattogram rivalry is a cricket rivalry between the BPL teams of Rajshahi Warriors and Chattogram Royals, known as the East-West Derby. The rivalry is also referred to as the Padma-Karnaphuli Derby due to geographical reasons.

Sponsorship

For the first season of the tournament, Bangladeshi conglomerate Destiny Group was the main sponsor of the tournament, negotiating a one-year sponsorship package for 75 million taka (US$1.0 million). Prime Bank Limited was awarded the sponsorship deal for the second season for 100 million taka (US$1.5 million). BRB Cables Limited held the sponsorship rights for third season in 2015 with 150 million taka (US$2.0 million). Abul Khair Steel (AKS), a sister concern group of Abul Khair Industries Limited became the title sponsor of the fourth and fifth editions.

Broadcasters

As of 2025 the competition is broadcast in a number of countries.

• Source: MyKhel

References

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