Bangladesh Premier League facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bangladesh Premier League

Countries	Bangladesh
Administrator	Bangladesh Cricket Board
Format	Twenty20
First edition	2012
Latest edition	2025
Tournament format	Double round-robin and Playoffs
Number of teams	7
Current champion	Fortune Barishal (2nd title)
Most successful	Comilla Victorians (4 titles)
Most runs	Tamim Iqbal Khan (3429)
Most wickets	Shakib Al Hasan (149)
TV	List of broadcasters

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is a super exciting professional Twenty20 cricket league in Bangladesh. It's like a big sports festival organized by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). In Twenty20 cricket, each team bats for only 20 overs, making the games fast-paced and full of action!

The BPL started in 2011. The very first season was played in February 2012. Games took place in big cities like Dhaka and Chittagong. The idea for the BPL came after other successful Twenty20 leagues, like the Indian Premier League, became popular around the world. The BCB wanted to create a similar league in Bangladesh.

In 2012, the BCB made a big deal with Game on Sports Group to manage the tournament for six years. The league began with six teams from Bangladesh's largest cities. Many companies wanted to own a team, and six won the chance to be part of this new cricket league. The BPL has grown a lot since then, becoming a major event in the cricket world.

History of the BPL Seasons

The First Season: 2012

The very first BPL season began on February 9, 2012. It kicked off with a grand opening ceremony in Dhaka. The first match was between Sylhet Royals and Barisal Burners. The final game saw Dhaka Gladiators play against Barisal Burners. Dhaka Gladiators won the first championship by eight wickets. All the matches were held in Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka and Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.

The Second Season: 2013

For the second season, a new team, Rangpur Riders, joined the league, making it seven teams. Dhaka Gladiators won again, beating Chittagong Kings in the final. The final match was once more held in Dhaka. This season, the MA Aziz Stadium in Chattogram was used instead of Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. Also, Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna became a third venue.

The Third Season: 2015

The BPL took a break in 2014. It returned in 2015 with six new teams. This time, the tournament was held in winter. Comilla Victorians won the championship, defeating Barisal Bulls by three wickets. Before the 2016-17 season, Sylhet Super Stars were suspended. Two new teams, Khulna Titans and Rajshahi Kings, joined, bringing the total back to seven.

The Fourth Season: 2016

The 2016 BPL draft was held on September 30. Teams picked their players from a list of local and foreign cricketers. Dhaka Dynamites, led by Shakib Al Hasan, finished first in the group stage. They went on to win the final against Rajshahi Kings by 56 runs. This was the third time a Dhaka team won the BPL title. Kumar Sangakkara was named the best player of the final match. Mahmudullah from Khulna Titans was chosen as the player of the tournament.

The Fifth Season: 2017

The fifth BPL season started on November 4, 2017. Seven teams competed. Barisal Bulls did not play this season due to financial issues. Matches were played in Dhaka and Chattogram. Heavy rain caused some early matches to be postponed, but the tournament restarted soon after. In the final, Rangpur Riders beat Dhaka Dynamites to win their first title. Chris Gayle was the star of the final and the whole tournament, scoring many runs. Shakib Al Hasan took the most wickets.

The Sixth Season: 2018–19

This season was moved to January 2019 for safety reasons. For the first time, the Decision Review System (DRS) was used, which helps umpires make fair decisions. In the final, Comilla Victorians won their second title, beating Dhaka Dynamites. Tamim Iqbal was the best player in the final. Rilee Rossouw scored the most runs, and Shakib Al Hasan took the most wickets and was named player of the tournament.

The Seventh Season: 2019–20

Rajshahi Royals won their first BPL title this season. They defeated Khulna Tigers in the final match. The captain of Rajshahi Royals, Andre Russell, was named both the best player of the final and the player of the tournament for his amazing all-round performance.

The Eighth Season: 2021–22

The 2022 season was played from January 21 to February 18, 2022. Six teams participated. Comilla Victorians returned after a break. The DRS could not be used this season. In a very close final, Comilla Victorians won their third title by just one run against Fortune Barishal. Sunil Narine was the player of the final. Shakib Al Hasan from Fortune Barishal was the player of the tournament for his great batting and bowling.

The Ninth Season: 2023

The 2023 season saw the return of Rangpur Riders. Matches were played daily, with two games per day. In the final, Comilla Victorians won their second consecutive title, and fourth overall. They defeated Sylhet Strikers by seven wickets.

The Tenth Season: 2024

The 2024 season featured many international players, making it a very exciting tournament. Durdanto Dhaka won their first match but struggled afterward. In the final, Fortune Barishal stopped Comilla Victorians from winning three titles in a row. Fortune Barishal won their first ever BPL championship.

The Eleventh Season: 2025

Excited Crowd at Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium for BPL Clash – January 17, 2025

The 2025 season started with Fortune Barishal beating Durbar Rajshahi. Mahmudullah was the player of the match. Rajshahi faced some financial challenges during this season. Despite this, they played well. In the final, Fortune Barishal successfully defended their title, winning their second championship in a row. They chased down a big score against Chittagong Kings in a thrilling match.

How the League Works

The BPL is run by a special group called the Governing Council (GC). The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chooses the members of this council. All the money earned from TV rights, sponsorships, ticket sales, and other sources is shared between the BCB and the teams.

As of the 2018–19 season, there are seven teams in the league. Each team plays every other team twice. This is called the "round-robin" stage. The top four teams then move on to play-off matches. These play-offs lead to the championship match, where the BPL champion is decided!

Teams of the BPL

Here are the teams that play in the Bangladesh Premier League:

Team Changes Over Time

Teams in the BPL have changed names or taken breaks over the years. Here's a look at how the franchises have evolved:

How Players are Chosen

The BPL uses a "draft system" to assign players to teams. This is like a special event where teams pick new players each year. Teams can also keep players from the previous year. Players can also be signed directly by teams or traded between them. Since 2015, Imago Sports Management has helped organize the player draft.

Tournament Results and Champions

BPL Finals: Who Won Each Year?

All the BPL final matches have been played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.

Team Success: Champions and Runners-Up

This table shows how many times each team has been champions or runners-up:

Exciting Rivalries in BPL

Dhaka Capitals vs. Comilla Victorians: The BPL Clásico

This is a huge rivalry in the BPL, often called the BPL Clásico. It's between Dhaka Capitals and Comilla Victorians. These two teams are the most successful in BPL history, winning a combined 7 titles out of 10 seasons! Their matches are always super intense and exciting. Many famous cricketers have played for both teams, like Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, and Andre Russell.

Fortune Barishal vs. Rangpur Riders: The North-South Derby

Another big rivalry is between Fortune Barishal and Rangpur Riders. This one is known as the North–South Derby. The competition between star players like Shakib and Tamim has made this rivalry even more exciting. Their playoff match in the 2024 season was particularly thrilling. Rangpur has won one title and reached the playoffs four times. Barishal has played in the final four times and won two titles, also reaching the playoffs once.

Durbar Rajshahi vs. Chittagong Kings: The East-West Derby

The Rajshahi–Chittagong rivalry is also very passionate, known as the East-West Derby. It represents the western city of Rajshahi and the eastern city of Chittagong. This rivalry is also called the Padma-Karnaphuli Derby because of the rivers in those regions. It's also known as the Education-Economy Derby, showing Chittagong's strong economy and Rajshahi's excellent education. These matches are about both regional pride and cricket skills!

Sponsorships and TV Coverage

The BPL has had many sponsors over the years. For the first season, Destiny Group was the main sponsor. Later, Prime Bank Limited and BRB Cables Industries Limited also sponsored the league. Abul Khair Steel (AKS) and Shah Cement were title sponsors for a few seasons. More recently, United Commercial Bank Ltd (UCB), TVS Motor Company, BBS Cables, Walton, M. M. Ispahani Limited, Minister Group, and Dutch-Bangla Bank have been sponsors.

Where to Watch BPL Matches

As of 2025, BPL matches are broadcast in many countries around the world.

• Source: MyKhel