United News of Bangladesh

In a heart-stopping finish at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Chris Woakes struck a massive six off the final ball to guide the Sylhet Titans to an incredible victory over the Rangpur Riders in the BPL Eliminator on Tuesday.  The breathtaking win keeps Sylhet's title hopes alive, propelling them to the second qualifier, while the Rangpur Riders have been knocked out of the tournament. Chasing a modest target of 112, the match appeared to be slipping away from Sylhet during a tense final over bowled by Rangpur's Fahim Ashraf. With just three runs required off the last six deliveries, the drama escalated quickly. Read More: Royals bat first against Noakhali Express as BPL resumes Ashraf started well, conceding only two runs off the first ball before bowling two consecutive dots to strangle the scoring. The pressure mounted further when Moeen Ali was dismissed on the fourth ball, leaving Sylhet needing one run to tie or a boundary to win with just one delivery remaining. However, Woakes held his nerve, connecting perfectly with the final ball to send it over the ropes and trigger wild celebrations in the Sylhet camp. Earlier in the day, Sylhet captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz won the toss and elected to field, a decision that paid immediate dividends. Pacer Khaled Ahmed tore through the Rangpur top order, delivering a match-winning spell of 4 for 14.  Read More: BPL in Jeopardy: players threaten total strike if a board director doesn't step down by Thursday 1 pm Rangpur’s star-studded lineup crumbled under the pressure, losing key wickets including openers Tawhid Hridoy and David Malan early on. Captain Litton Das managed just one run before falling to Khaled, leaving his side reeling. Veteran Mahmudullah Riyad offered some resistance, top-scoring with 33 off 26 balls, while Khushdil Shah added a fighting 30. However, the lack of support from the other end meant Rangpur could only post a below-par 111 for 9 in their 20 overs. Alongside Khaled, Woakes and Nasum Ahmed chipped in with two wickets each to keep the scoring in check. Sylhet’s chase was far from smooth, as they found themselves in deep trouble at 44 for 4 in the eighth over following strikes by Alis Islam and Mustafizur Rahman. It took a great partnership between Sam Billings and skipper Miraz to resurrect the innings. Billings played a gritty knock of 29 off 40 balls, anchoring the middle overs before falling in the 18th over, setting the stage for Woakes’ last-gasp heroics.

Sylhet Titans captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz won the toss and opted to field first in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) eliminator against Rangpur Riders. Sylhet have made four changes to their squad, while Rangpur captain Litton Das confirmed two changes in his squad for today’s match. Rangpur Riders squad: Dawid Malan, Towhid Hridoy, Litton Das (c), Khushdil Shah, Iftakhar Hossain Ifti, Nurul Hasan (w), Mahmudullah, Faheem Ashraf, Nahid Rana, Aliss Al Islam, Akif Javed, Mehedi Hasan Sohag, Rakibul Hasan, Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, Nayeem Hasan, Abdul Halim, Mustafizur Rahman, Kyle Mayers, Kamrul Islam Dramatic final over sees Rajshahi edge past Sylhet by 5 runs Sylhet Titans squad: Tawfique Khan, Parvez Hossain Emon (w), Moeen Ali, Afif Hossain, Mominul Haque, Mehedi Hasan Miraz (c), Ethan Brookes, Shohidul Islam, Nasum Ahmed, Ruyel Miah, Salman Irshad, Rony Talukdar, Ariful Islam Jony, Ebadot Hossain, Khaled Ahmed, Rahatul Ferdous, Zakir Hasan

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is set to resume on Friday (January 16, 2026) after a successful late-night negotiation between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the players, ending the boycott that stalled the tournament on Thursday. The breakthrough was announced by BPL Governing Council Member Secretary Iftekhar Rahman and CWAB President Mohammad Mithun following a meeting at the BCB office in Gulshan. Read more: BCB removes Nazmul from finance chair in bid to end player boycott Cricketers joined the discussions with board officials and franchise representatives around 10:30 PM to finalize the agreement. To accommodate the lost day, the tournament schedule has been revised. Thursday’s abandoned matches—Noakhali Express vs. Chattogram Royals and Rajshahi Warriors vs. Sylhet Titans—will now be played on Friday at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM respectively. Consequently, Friday’s originally scheduled games have been shifted to Saturday, while Saturday’s fixtures move to January 18. The Eliminator and Qualifier-1 have also been pushed back to January 20, though the date for the final remains unchanged. The standoff was triggered by offensive remarks from BCB Director M Nazmul Islam regarding player funding. While the players initially demanded his resignation and a public apology, the resumption follows the board’s decision to strip him of his Finance Committee chairmanship. Read more: BPL halted as players boycott match despite BCB’s show-cause notice

In a frantic effort to salvage the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and quell a full-scale player mutiny, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has removed Director M Nazmul Islam from his post as Chairman of the Finance Committee with immediate effect. The decision, announced in a media release on Thursday evening (January 15, 2026), comes hours after cricketers followed through on their threat to boycott the day's BPL fixtures. The first match between Chattogram Royals and Noakhali Express was abandoned after players refused to take the field, adhering to an ultimatum issued by the Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB). Read More: BCB to continue ‘constructive engagement’ with ICC for T20 World Cup solution The BCB President exercised his authority under Article 31 of the constitution to strip Nazmul of his committee responsibilities, assuming the role of Acting Chairman himself. “The BCB reiterates that the interests of the cricketers remain its highest priority,” the board stated, adding that the move was aimed at ensuring the “smooth and effective functioning” of affairs. The release explicitly appealed to players to return to the field, hoping they would “display the highest standards of professionalism” to ensure the continuation of the BPL during this “challenging period”. The crisis erupted after Nazmul made a series of remarks, that cricketers found inflammatory, first labeling former captain Tamim Iqbal an “Indian agent” and later mocking players by asking if the board should demand a refund of their salaries if they failed to perform at the World Cup. While the players demanded his resignation as a board director, it remains to be seen if his removal solely from the Finance Committee chairmanship will be enough to bring them back to the stadium. Read more: BPL halted as players boycott match despite BCB’s show-cause notice

The owners of Chattogram Royals have relinquished control of the franchise just a day before the start of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).  They failed to meet financial obligations to players, leaving BCB to step in and take temporary charge of the team. The franchise owner, Abdul Kaiyum, informed the BPL Governing Council of his decision in a letter submitted to the board, citing an inability to secure sponsors and pay player salaries. Under BPL regulations, the responsibility of the franchise now falls to the board.  “We have received a letter,” BPL Governing Council member secretary Iftekhar Rahman said to media. . “We are now discussing the situation with the players and reviewing how to proceed. According to the rules, the board is expected to take responsibility.” BCB director and chairman of the board’s media and communication department, Amzad Hussain, confirmed the takeover to UNB. “They are unable to continue as the owner of the team,” Amzad said. “They were also unable to make the necessary payments, so the BCB is taking over the team. Since there is no time to appoint a new owner, this was the only option.” Chattogram Royals were awarded to Triangular Services by the BCB, but the franchise had been surrounded by uncertainty since the beginning. Under BPL regulations, franchises are required to pay at least 25 percent of player contracts before the tournament begins. That payment was not made, according to officials.

A group of nine local cricketers has been excluded from the Bangladesh Premier League’s (BPL) final auction list after a series of anti-corruption investigations flagged their involvement in suspected fixing activities in last season’s tournament. The exclusions follow an extensive probe led by the BCB’s three-member independent investigation committee, headed by former Appellate Division judge Mirza Hussain Haider. The committee examined alleged irregularities from the previous BPL and identified nine Bangladeshi and one foreign player as suspects. Their names were forwarded for further inquiry by Alex Marshall, the BCB’s anti-corruption consultant and former ICC anti-corruption chief. Read more: BCB finalizes 5 franchises for upcoming BPL season Based on Marshall’s findings, the BPL governing council removed nine locally contracted players from the final auction pool. Most had already appeared in the preliminary list but were omitted when the final roll was released on the eve of this year’s auction. The suspected group includes several players with previous national-team experience and multiple domestic regulars. Among them are personnel noted as “red-flagged” by the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit. While not all were accused of direct fixing, their activities and access patterns raised concerns within the investigative review. Read more: Sameer Quader says ‘46 crore’ claim makes no sense, keeps BPL door open The governing council has instructed franchises not to involve any red-flagged personnel in team operations this season. Those named in suspicion will not be allowed in team areas, dressing rooms, or other restricted spaces. While the barred players may continue participating in other domestic competitions, they will not feature in this BPL. The 12th BPL auction is scheduled on Sunday (November 30) at a Dhaka hotel. Read more: BPL drops players linked to fixing allegations from final auction list

The defending champions of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) stormed into the final of this year’s BPL beating Chittagong Kings by nine wickets in the qualifier one on Monday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. While Barishal marched to the final, Chittagong will now take on Khulna Tigers in the second qualifier on February 5 at the same venue. The defending champions, now one step closer to retaining their title, was guided by Mohammad Ali’s five-wicket haul and a well-composed and unbeaten 82 of Towhid Hridoy. Chittagong batted first in this and failed to lay a good foundation. They lost four wickets in just 34 runs inside the powerplay. Four of their top five batters failed to reach a double-digit total. They collectively scored only 18 runs. Parvez Hossain Emon was the only top-order batter who reached a double-digit total scoring 36 runs. Shamim Hossain was the lone bright spot, scoring an explosive 79 off 47 balls, featuring nine fours and four sixes. Straight wins to straight defeats: Rangpur eliminated from BPL race by Khulna Pakistan bowler Mohammad Ali led the bowling attack of Barishal taking five wickets for just 24 runs, while Kyle Mayers bagged two wickets. Ebadot Hossain and Rishad Hossain took one wicket each. Chittagong managed to post 149 for nine wickets. In reply, Barishal’s chase was clinical. Tamim Iqbal, their captain, scored 29 off 26 balls. But he failed to carry on a good note. However, after his dismissal when Barishal was at 55 for one, Towhid and Dawid Malan formed a big partnership. Tickets for ICC Champions Trophy UAE matches on sale They ended up winning the match and ensuring a place in the final for the second consecutive time. In the final of February 7, Barishal will take on either of Khulna Tigers or Chittagong Kings who will compete in the second qualifier on February 5 at the same venue in Dhaka.

Khulna Tigers eliminated Rangpur Riders from the final race of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), beating them by nine wickets on Monday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.  It was a dramatic fall for Rangpur in this BPL that they started with eight straight wins. Now they suffered five defeats in the row, and were eliminated from the race of the final battle.  With this win, Khulna marched to the second qualifier on February 5, which will take place at the same venue in Dhaka.  Rangpur won the toss and batted first, but they stumbled for only 85 runs. Their top five batters collectively failed to score only 14 runs, at which point Rangpur lost momentum and was never able to recover from that early fall. Andre Russell joins Rangpur Riders for BPL playoffs Nurul Hasan Sohan and Akif Javed were the only batters of Rangpur who reached a double-digit total. While Sohan posted 23, Akif scored 32 runs.  But their efforts did not meet what Rangpur required following the failure of the top order.  Rangpur fielded James Vince, Tim David, and Andre Russell in this match, but they all failed to produce the expected performance.  For Khulna, captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nasum Ahmed shared six wickets among them and destroyed Rangpur’s batting line.  Mehidy conceded only 10 runs in four overs to take three wickets, while Nasum gave away 16 runs to take three more.  BPL Cricket: Chittagong Kings advance to qualifier beating league leader Barisal Fortune by 24 runs In reply, Khulna lost their captain Mehidy, who opened the innings, for a duck. But they never looked back from there. In the second wicket, Mohammad Naim and Alex Ross forged an 87-run stand and guided them to a spectacular win to book a place in the second qualifier on February 5.  Both Naim and Ross remained unbeaten for 48 off 33 and 29 off 27 balls respectively.  In the next match of the day, current BPL champions Fortune Barishal will take on Chittagong Kings. The winner will marched to the final of February 7, and the loser will take on Khulna Tigers in the second qualifier on February 5. 

Six-time champions, Dhaka Abahani Limited dropped points with Brothers Union Club as the ninth round match of the Bashundhara Kings Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football ended in a goalless draw at the Bir Shreshtho Fl Lt Matiur Rahman Stadium in Munshiganj on Saturday. Despite the day’s draw in a keenly contested match, the sky-blue Dhanmondi outfit Abahani Ltd, without any foreign players, maintained their second slot in the league table, securing 20 points from all nine first-phase matches, while the Gopibagh outfit Brothers Union remained at the 5th slot with 15 points from nine encounters. Pakistan head coach Aaqib Javed backs spin pitches for home test matches Meanwhile, Dhaka Mohammedan SC comfortably dominated the 10-team league, securing 24 points from nine outings despite conceding the first defeat against lowly Youngsmen’s Club Fakirerpool by a 0-1 goal in their ninth match on Friday. Last season’s treble winners, Bashundhara Kings, completed the nine-match first phase league in the third slot, collecting 17 points, while the old Dhaka outfit Rahmatganj MFS is in the fourth place by virtue of better goal differences, securing equal 15 points like the Brothers Union. Abahani’s national-coloured custodian, Mitul Marma, who did not concede any goals in the last six matches, also displayed his brilliance in the day’s match, saving some good opponent’s attempts and being adjudged player of the match. Ashraful Islam Rana of Brothers Union also played entertaining football in the match. In the day’s other match, Fortis FC advanced to the 6th slot in the league table, beating bottom-ranked Chittagong Abahani Limited by a 1-0 goal at the Bashundhara Kings Arena Saturday afternoon. 10th Shah Cement AKS Cup Golf Tournament begins Gambian defender Essa Jallow scored the match-winning goal for Fortis FC in the 34th minute. Fortis FC bagged 11 points from nine outings to move up to 6th place while Chittagong Abahani Limited remained at the bottom with three points from nine encounters.

Since December 30, 2024, the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025 T20 Cricket Tournament has been spellbinding cricket fans with exciting performances. As the competition progresses towards Phase 4, standout players and teams have begun to shape the narrative. Let’s dive into the brilliance of the standout bowlers, batsmen, and teams leading the race. Bangladesh Premier League 2025 Tournaments Top 5 Batsmen To Date . Table: Top Run-scorers in the 11th Edition of BPL So Far No Batsman Team Most Run Match Highest Score Century Half Century 1 Tanzid Hasan Tamim Dhaka Capitals 420 10 108 1 3 2 Mohammad Anamul Haque Bijoy Durbar Rajshahi 379 10 100 1 2 3 Litton Das Dhaka Capitals 348 9 125 1 2 4 Zakir Hasan Sylhet Strikers 342 9 75 - 3 5 Graham Clark Chittagong Kings 335 8 101 1 1 The T20 cricket action has been a stage for outstanding batting displays, with Tanzid Hasan Tamim from Dhaka Capitals taking the lead. His collection is 420 runs in 10 matches, including a highest score of 108. He has one century and three half-centuries to his name. Mohammad Anamul Haque Bijoy from Durbar Rajshahi follows closely with 379 runs in 10 matches. His highest score of 100 and ability to deliver one century and two half-centuries underline his value. Litton Das, also from Dhaka Capitals, has 348 runs in 9 matches, with a remarkable performance of 125 runs. Apart from the century inning, he has 2 half-centuries in the remaining matches. Zakir Hasan from Sylhet Strikers has scored 342 runs in 9 matches, though without a century. He maintains a steady performance with 3 half-centuries including a top score of 75 runs. Finally, Graham Clark, an English player who played for Chittagong Kings, completes the list with 335 runs in 8 matches. His achievement also includes a half-century and the best batting delivery with a Centurion inning of 101 runs. Read more: BPL Football: 9th round begins Friday with leaders Mohammedan taking on Youngmen’s Club Top 5 Bowlers in the Ongoing BPL 2025 Tournament . Table: Leading Wicket-takers in the 11th edition of BPL Before Phase 4 No Bowler Team Wickets Match Overs Best Bowling in Innings 1 Taskin Ahmed Durbar Rajshahi 22 10 38.2 7/19 2 Akif Javed Rangpur Riders 15 7 26.5 4/32 3 Abu Hider Rony Khulna Tigers 15 8 30.5 4/44 4 Khushdil Shah Rangpur Riders 14 9 24 3/18 5 Aliss Al Islam Chittagong Kings 12 8 31 3/17 The bowlers have been equally influential in the tournament, with Taskin Ahmed of Durbar Rajshahi dominating the charts. He bowled 38 overs and 2 balls in 10 matches, securing 22 wickets with a personal best of 7 wickets against 19 runs. Akif Javed, Pakistani cricketer on behalf of Rangpur Riders is second with 15 wickets in 7 matches from 26 overs and 5 balls. He boasts a best figure of 4 wickets in 32 runs. Abu Hider Rony from Khulna Tigers also claimed 15 wickets in 30 overs 5 balls of 8 matches. His top spell was 44 runs off 4 wickets. Rangpur Riders' Khushdil Shah, a Pakistani player by origin, takes the fourth spot with 14 wickets in 24 overs across 9 matches. In an innings, he reached a maximum of 18 runs from 3 wickets. Aliss Al Islam of Chittagong Kings rounds off the top five with 12 wickets in 8 matches, bowling 31 overs. His personal best for an innings was 17 runs for 3 wickets. Read more: BPL Football: League leaders Mohammedan SC taste first defeat losing to Youngmen's Club Top 4 Teams in the 11th Edition of Bangladesh Premier League So Far . Table: Points Table Standings - Top 4 Teams Before Phase 4 of BPL 2025 No Team Match Won Lost Points Net Run Rate (NRR) 1 Rangpur Riders 9 8 1 16 1.223 2 Fortune Barishal 8 6 2 12 0.993 3 Chittagong Kings 9 5 4 10 1.045 4 Khulna Tigers 9 4 5 8 -0.148 The tournament is led by Rangpur Riders, who have won all but one of 9 matches, earning 16 points and the season's highest NRR of 1.223. Fortune Barishal holds second place with 6 wins from 8 matches, accumulating 12 points and an NRR of 0.993. Chittagong Kings sit third, with 5 wins and 4 losses from 9 matches, earning 10 points and maintaining an NRR of 1.045. Khulna Tigers round out the top 4, securing 4 wins and 8 points from 9 matches. However, their 5 losses have left them with a negative NRR of -0.148. Read more: 10th Shah Cement AKS Cup Golf Tournament begins Summary The BPL 2025’s best performers to date include batsmen Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Mohammad Anamul Haque Bijoy, Litton Das, Zakir Hasan, and Graham Clark. Sitting atop the bowling charts with the highest wickets are Taskin Ahmed, Akif Javed, Abu Hider Rony, Khushdil Shah, and Aliss Al Islam. The teams dominating the competition are the Rangpur Riders, Fortune Barishal, Chittagong Kings, and Khulna Tigers. The 2025 Bangladesh Premier League will end on February 7. It is expected that the T20 Tournament will keep the cricket fans entertained with magical performances and exciting records. Read more: BPL Cricket: Durbar Rajshahi inflict first defeat of the season on leaders Rangpur Riders