BPL Season 12 to Kick Off in Sylhet

After weeks of speculation, it has finally been confirmed that the 12th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) will begin in Sylhet. Despite indications of a possible change in the opening venue due to hotel shortages, the franchise T20 league will commence as originally announced, at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

The tournament will open on December 26 with a match between Sylhet Titans and Rajshahi Warriors in Sylhet. The month-long event will conclude on January 23 with the final at Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.

On Tuesday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) released the full schedule for BPL Season 12. This will be the second time since 2017 that the country’s most popular T20 league will begin in Sylhet.

During the initial phase, matches will be held in Sylhet, Chattogram, and Dhaka. After six matches across six days in Sylhet, the Chattogram phase will begin on January 5. The final six matches of the group stage will be held in Dhaka from January 15, with no rest days.

According to the schedule, the first match of each day will start at 1 PM and the second at 6 PM. However, on Fridays, the first match will begin at 2 PM and the second at 7 PM.

Following the group stage, the playoff phase will begin in Dhaka on January 19— the Eliminator will start at 1 PM and Qualifier 1 at 6 PM.

Qualifier 2 will be played on the evening of January 21, and the new champion will be crowned on January 23. Each playoff match and the final will have a reserve day.

In contrast to Mirpur’s spin-friendly pitches, the decision to host more matches on the batting-friendly surfaces of Sylhet and Chattogram is being viewed as part of the preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Overall, after much anticipation, the BPL’s colorful opening in Sylhet is set to bring added excitement for local cricket fans.