Sports Desk:

For years, the lack of domestic T20 opportunities has been a major concern for Bangladeshi cricketers. Currently, the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is the only T20 tournament in the country, but many players struggle to get playing time or secure spots in the teams.

A domestic T20 tournament has been long overdue and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has finally taken the initiative.

BCB has launched the National Cricket League (NCL) T20, an eight-team domestic tournament, to provide local cricketers with a much-needed platform to showcase their T20 skills. The competition is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, with all the matches to be held in Sylhet.

Al-Arafah Islami Bank PLC is the title sponsor, Walton Hi-Tech Industries PLC is the powered by sponsor and T Sports, the country’s lone sports channel, is the broadcasting sponsor of the domestic T20 event.

The introduction of the NCL T20 aims to address this issue and give more players exposure to competitive T20 cricket.

The trophy unveiling event was held on Sunday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, attended by the team captains, BCB directors and representatives of sponsors Walton.

The captains expressed their approval of the initiative, particularly as it provides preparation for the BPL, set to begin on 30 December.

“Thanks to BCB for arranging such a tournament.  We’ve been playing in the BPL for a long time but we probably played just one domestic T20 tournament in DPL before. I think it’s a great initiative before BPL. It’s a great platform for us to prepare ourselves,” Chattogram Division captain Yasir Ali Chowdhury told the reporters after the trophy unveiling event.

“First of all, I want to thank BCB (for arranging the NCL T20). This was long overdue. I hope this will go well and the aim of this tournament is fulfilled,” Khulna’s stand-in skipper Ziaur Rahman echoed Yasir’s words.

The NCL T20 will not only help players improve their skills but also give selectors an opportunity to identify fresh talent for the national team.

With the growing importance of T20 cricket globally, this tournament is a significant step toward strengthening Bangladesh’s domestic cricket structure.

“We’ve been doing well in ODIs but not so much in T20Is because we only play this format once a year. I hope this tournament will help us prepare,” Ziaur added.

The NCL T20 is expected to bring new energy to the domestic cricket scene and help bridge the gap between local players and the demands of top-level T20 cricket.

As preparations are underway, all eyes are on Sylhet for what could be the beginning of a transformative phase for Bangladesh cricket in the shorter version of the game.