BPL Players Draft for Five Teams Scheduled for 17 November

The twelfth edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) will be contested by five franchises. On Tuesday, the BPL Governing Council finalised the participating teams at a meeting held at Navana Tower in Gulshan. Speaking at the post-meeting press conference, Governing Council Secretary Iftekhar Rahman Mithu announced the five franchises and their respective owners: Dhaka Capitals (Champion Sports), Chattogram (Triangle Services), Rangpur Riders (Togi Sports Limited), Rajshahi (Nabil Group of Industries), and Sylhet (Jaglu & Cricket With Sami). These organisations have been granted franchise ownership for the next five years.

Initially, eleven organisations had applied to become BPL franchises. During the preliminary screening, three teams were excluded: Chittagong Kings (SQ Sports), Noakhali (Bangla Mark), and Khulna Tigers (Mind Tree Limited). Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Vice-President and BPL Governing Council member Shakawat Hossain explained that these three were deemed ineligible due to failing to meet the requirements of the Expression of Interest (EOI).

After a final verification process, five franchises were selected from the remaining eight applicants. Consequently, Barishal (Akaash Bari Holidays & Resorts), Rajshahi (Desh Travels), and Comilla (SS Group) were not granted franchises. Shakawat Hossain clarified that three factors were considered in franchise selection: financial capability, integrity, and objectives. “After completing all the procedures, five franchises were chosen. A permanent name will be assigned to each of these franchises,” he said.

The BPL Governing Council has stipulated that each selected franchise must provide a bank guarantee of 100 million BDT to the BCB within five days for a period of six months.

This will be the first BPL edition contested by only five teams. Due to time constraints, the tournament will be shorter than usual. Officials stated during last night’s briefing that the players’ draft has been scheduled for 17 November. The tournament is likely to take place between 19 December and 16 January.

With fewer teams, the number of matches will also decrease. Under the previous format, the league stage would feature 20 matches, followed by four Super Four games, totaling 24 matches. Consequently, the 30% revenue share from ticket sales, TV rights, and ground rights allocated to franchises may be significantly reduced.

Selected Franchises for the 12th BPL:

This streamlined format ensures a more concise tournament, but fans and players alike can still expect high-quality cricket action.