Sports Desk:

The much-anticipated National Cricket League (NCL) T20 is set to commence on Tuesday, marking a significant step for domestic cricket in Bangladesh. This tournament, dedicated solely to local cricketers, has been long overdue and comes as a breath of fresh air for players who often struggle for opportunities in the star-studded Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

For years, domestic players have clamored for a T20 tournament beyond the BPL, where competition for playing time is fierce and many deserving players are left on the sidelines. The NCL T20 finally puts the spotlight on local talent, giving nearly 120 players the opportunity to showcase their skills on a national stage.

Excitement was palpable at the jersey unveiling ceremony and captain’s meet on Tuesday.

Rangpur captain Akbar Ali emphasised the tournament’s value for the local cricketers, stating, “We have been wanting this—our local players getting to play a domestic T20 tournament apart from the BPL—for a long time. It is a great initiative by the board. Hopefully, this will be a very competitive tournament and help us in the upcoming BPL.”

“Very few local players get the chance to play in BPL. But here, almost every player playing in NCL is playing. Around 120 players will get good exposure. This is important as we don’t usually get enough time to prepare for the format,” Akbar added.

Rajshahi’s Pritom Kumer highlighted the platform’s importance, saying, “It’s a huge opportunity for us because we don’t usually get to play such tournaments. This is a great platform for us to show our abilities in T20 cricket.”

While the captains were hopeful about the T20 tournament finally taking place, they were all so competitive and confident regarding their team’s chances to become champions.

“Whoever plays better cricket on the field will be champions. We will try to play our best cricket and reduce our mistakes as much as possible,” Barishal skipper Sohag Gazi said.

Chattogram skipper Yasir Ali kept his focus straightforward: “We will show our strength on the field rather than talking big here.”

Sylhet’s Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby, whose team triumphed in the four-day league, sounded optimistic about their chances in the T20 format as well.

“We’ve prepared very well. Hopefully, we will be able to do something good in the T20 format as well,” Rabby said.

Dhaka captain Sumon Khan, despite being jokingly deprived of a seat during the event, expressed confidence in his team, saying, “I think our team combination is good in all departments. We want to prove it on the field.”

The jersey unveiling event had its lighter moments, with captains rating the designs. Khulna captain Ziaur Rahman claimed theirs was the best, while Barishal’s red-based jersey was rated a perfect 10 by Sohag Gazi. Chattogram’s pink jersey was rated 7 out of 10 by Ziaur. Sylhet’s green was rated 8 while Rangpur’s one was rated 5.5. Akbar himself rated their jersey 7 out of 10.

Kazi Mahmud Karim, deputy managing editor of Al Arafah Islami Bank and Rabiul Islam Milton, additional executive director of Walton were present during the jersey unveiling ceremony.

As the tournament kicks off, it promises to be a vital stepping stone for Bangladesh’s domestic players and a celebration of local talent.

All the action will be telecast live on T Sports.