BPL 11 kicks off in Mirpur today
The 11th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League T20, the country’s only franchise-based T20 tournament, will get underway at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur today.
In opening day’s fixtures, reigning champions Fortune Barishal will take on newcomers Durbar Rajshahi at 01:30pm while Rangpur Riders will face Dhaka Capitals in the second match at 06:30pm.
Like the previous editions, the matches will be held in Sylhet [January 6 to 13] and Chattogram [January 16 to 23] as well. A total of seven franchises, including three brand new ones, will take part in the competition, which will conclude in Mirpur on February 7.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is leaving no stone unturned to make the event a grand success. The BCB has ensured DRS technology will be available for the entire tournament while digital perimeter boards will add a different vibe to the grounds.
“I feel that if we want to arrange a different type of BPL, we need to invest in cricket. That’s the most important thing. We need to invest in the tournament, not in the concerts or anything else. If we invest in cricket and also in the tournament, we can say that it’s a new type of BPL.”
Fans will be offered free water bottles on match days as the BCB, along with Pusti, will set up six counters around the stadiums for the spectators.
The board has also painted the stadium galleries and premises with graffiti, highlighting the July Uprising.
The build-up to the event has been marked by three concerts in Dhaka, Sylhet and Chattogram between December 23 and 28 and as part of Music Fest to reach out to the fans of the host divisions.
However, not everyone was convinced that the concerts were absolutely necessary, with so much scope for improvement in other sectors of the tournament.
Tamim Iqbal, captain of defending champions Fortune Barishal, felt that more investments should have been made on cricketers and cricket infrastructure than on concerts.
“I feel that if we want to arrange a different type of BPL, we need to invest in cricket. That’s the most important thing. We need to invest in the tournament, not in the concerts or anything else. If we invest in cricket and also in the tournament, we can say that it’s a new type of BPL,” the dashing batter said in a press briefing ahead of the tournament opener.
BCB’s ticketing system, too, came under scrutiny from fans as a large number of them protested in front of the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium’s Gate-1 yesterday after failing to secure match tickets.
Initially, the BCB had agreed in principle to introduce a full-fledged e-ticket system for the BPL, aiming to streamline the ticketing process but later changed the idea. Only 30-35% tickets went for sale online while rest will be sold through Modhumoti Bank PLC branches and their ticketing booths. This announcement, though, was made at the eleventh hour, after things had already gotten out of hand.
Away from the controversies, the teams will be eyeing to showcase good performances and Tamim expects his side to defend the title.
“We are defending champions and of course we will try to defend the title. Individually, I will try to do my best. It’s a long tournament and tomorrow I hope to start well like any other batsman. But at the moment, team always comes first,” said Tamim.
Barishal are the most balanced team on paper, with a bunch of good local and international players, but Tamim didn’t rule out the other team’s chances. “This year there are few teams who might not have big names but they are well balanced teams. When the tournament will start, we will understand which team is in which condition. It’s difficult to predict. After the first round, everybody will understand which are teams will be challenging,” Tamim opined.
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