Bangladesh Cricket Board to launch Women's BPL T20 in April

On Wednesday, February 11, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) made the announcement that the Women's Bangladesh Premier League (WBPL) T20 will begin on April 3 through 15. The WBPL will be the first franchise-based T20 competition for women in Bangladesh. This tournament has long been a dream for many Bangladeshi cricketers, who see it as a big step forward in women's cricket's professional development. The Bangladesh women's team captain, Nigar Sultana, told after the announcement that she is looking forward to the tournament because she believes that it will also help the team prepare for the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup, which will be held in England in June 2025. "I have been hearing for a long time that this (WBPL) was going to happen, so the time has come to make the announcement. It is evidently good news. We have always argued that a women's franchise tournament should be competitive. "It is paying off for other countries to play women's franchise-based T20 tournaments," Nigar stated. "You must examine how other nations are progressing through franchise cricket if you want to compete in world cricket in the T20 format. The majority of players participate in various franchise leagues, which is how their skill levels develop in a variety of ways. Therefore, this would be an excellent opportunity for us," she added. "Plus, it would be a huge experience for both local players and those interested in the game. The overall quality of cricket will rise if we are able to bring in world-class players who regularly participate in franchise leagues and allow them to share the dressing room and their experiences. With the T20 World Cup ahead of us, this would be the best possible preparation," she said. According to the BCB, the inaugural tournament will feature three franchise teams that will feature both established and upcoming national cricketers. Local players will be selected through a player draft system to ensure competitive balance, squad strength, and depth across all teams. Franchises will also be allowed to sign overseas professional players, providing opportunities for international participation, global exposure, and an enhancement of the tournament's competitive standard. The position of Chairperson of the WBPL Governing Council has been given to BCB Director Rubaba Dowla, who is also the Chairperson of the BCB Women's Wing.