The Cricketer has all of the information you need ahead of the tenth edition of the BPL
The tenth edition of the Bangladesh Premier League, a T20 league organised by the Bangladesh Cricket Board.
The competition will run from January 19 to March 1.
This year's BPL is being held across three cities, with matches at Chattogram's Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, and the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet.
Instead of playing home and away, the group stage is split into five phases, beginning in Dhaka (seven matches) before heading to Sylhet, Dhaka, Chattogram and Dhaka. The playoffs will be held in Dhaka.
There are seven teams in the BPL: Chattogram Challengers, Comilla Victorians, Durdanto Dhaka, Fortune Barishal, Khulna Tigers, Rangpur Riders, Sylhet Strikers.
Comilla Victorians are the most successful side, winning four titles in nine years. Durdanto Dhaka won three of the first four editions of the BPL while Rangpur Riders and defunct side Rajshahi Royals have one trophy apiece.
The playoffs will be held in Dhaka [Munir Uz Zaman/Getty Images]
The group stage, which runs from January 19 to February 21, consists of a double round robin, with each team playing 12 matches.
The top four teams qualify for the playoffs (February 25 to March 1). The first and second-placed teams will meet in Qualifier 1, with the winner advancing directly to the final. The loser will then drop into Qualifier 2 where they will face the winner of the Eliminator (third versus fourth) for a spot in the final.
In total, there are 46 matches.
Comilla Victorians successfully defended the title, beating Sylhet Strikers by seven wickets. Johnson Charles scored an unbeaten 79 (52) to help his side chase 176 with four balls to spare.
Rangpur Riders finished in third position while Fortune Barishal also reached the playoffs.
Sylhet Strikers batter Najmul Hossain Shanto was the leading run-scorer, scoring 516 runs, including four half-centuries, in 15 innings, while Tanvir Islam (Comilla Victorians) and Hasan Mahmud (Rangpur Riders) topped the wicket-taking charts, with 17 wickets.
George Scrimshaw, Stephen Eskinazi and Moeen Ali are among the English players with BPL contracts [Getty Images]
A handful of English players are set to be involved in the 2024 BPL, with Stephen Eskinazi (Chattogram Challengers), George Scrimshaw, Samit Patel (all Sylhet Strikers) and Moeen Ali (Comilla Victorians) earning contracts.
Moeen, however, is likely to join up with the defending champions following the conclusion of the SA20 (January 10-February 10), where he is contracted to Joburg Super Kings.
Pakistan trio Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Hasnain, and Abdullah Shafique are expected to join Eskinazi at Chattogram, alongside Ireland international Curtis Campher, while Mohammad Rizwan and West Indies veterans Andre Russell and Sunil Narine are the headline names for the Victorians.
Big-hitting batters Paul Stirling and Afghanistan's Ibrahim Zadran are on the books of Fortune Barishal.
Khulna Tigers have the likes of Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, and Dasun Shanaka at their disposal while Nicholas Pooran, Brandon King, Sri Lanka allrounder Wanindu Hasaranga, and Azmatullah Omarzai are among those who could turn out for Rangpur Riders.
Sylhet Strikers' English duo are joined by Ben Cutting, Ireland's Harry Tector and Zimbabwe quick Richard Ngarava among others.
GTV and T Sports have the broadcast rights for the BPL in Bangladesh. Matches can be streamed via RabbitholeBD.com and the Sports App.
Fancode will stream all the action for followers in India, and Ten Sports will show games for those located in Pakistan, who can also use Tapmad TV or Hum Sports.
Fans in the Middle East, North Africa and South east Asia should access Cricbuzz for ball-by-ball coverage.
Willow TV will show the action for those in North America, while those in the remaining countries and territories should consult RabbitholeBD.com or T Sports.
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Posted by HAMAYUN BABAR on 19/01/2024 at 20:57
Very Nice and detailed information 👌