Renowned Pakistani Sufi musician Rahat Fateh Ali Khan captivated the audience on a chilly December evening in Mirpur as the BPL Music Fest began Monday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is set to commence on December 30. Ahead of the tournament, organizers are hosting the BPL Music Fest, featuring three musical events in Dhaka, Sylhet, and Chattogram. Thousands of music and cricket lovers gathered in Dhaka for Monday's event. Before Rahat Fateh Ali Khan took the stage, local performers entertained the crowd with energetic performances. The event began at 3:50 p.m. with a performance by Rafa. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan offers his services to cultural development of Bangladesh The program included a moment of silence to honor Hasan Ariff, an adviser to the interim government, who recently passed away. Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud and BCB President Faruque Ahmed attended the event, joined by student protesters who were injured during the July-August uprising against the Sheikh Hasina government. The fest also featured a special display commemorating the protests and the movement that led to the ousting of the Hasina regime, which had faced criticism for becoming increasingly autocratic. The BPL Music Fest will continue in Sylhet on December 25 and in Chattogram on December 27, blending music and cricket to build excitement for the league.

Bangladesh national women’s cricket team stars, Nigar Sultana and Farzana Haque, created history as they became the first women batters to score centuries in the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL). They scored their centuries during the North Zone vs Central Zone match at the Shaheed Kamruzzaman Stadium in Rajshahi. Nigar, captain of Central Zone, achieved the fate of being Bangladesh’s first centurion in women’s first-class cricket. Resuming her innings on 85 overnight, Nigar reached her century with a single off Jannatul Ferdous. She remained unbeaten on 153 runs off 253 balls, hitting 20 boundaries and two sixes. Her innings propelled Central Zone to declare their first innings at 387 for 8, with a 147-run lead.  Not to be outdone, Farzana Haque responded in style during North Zone’s second innings. After missing out on a century in the first innings with 86 runs, Farzana scored an unbeaten 102 off 226 balls, partnering with Isma Tanzim for a 196-run opening stand. Isma narrowly missed her century, falling short by 10 runs. North Zone ended their innings at 204 for 1, resulting in a draw.  In the other match, Southern Zone claimed the first win of the women’s first-class cricket season, beating Eastern Zone by 10 wickets at the Bangla Track Cricket Academy Ground in Rajshahi.  Eastern Zone, resuming their second innings at 26 for 3 on the final day, were bowled out for 162. Southern captain Rabeya Khan led the charge with a five-wicket haul, conceding just 18 runs. Chasing a target of mere 9 runs, Southern Zone secured the win without losing a wicket. Rabeya, who took 7 wickets across two innings and scored 70 runs in her only batting innings, was named Player of the Match for her all-around performance.

Bangladesh Lawyers' Cricket, in collaboration with T Sports and ACE, is organizing an International Cricket Tournament with 6 teams at Bashundhara sports city cricket ground here. The tournament will feature two teams from Pakistan (Lahore & Karachi) and four teams from Bangladesh (Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi , Sylhet). Chief Justice of Bangladesh inaugurated the event on December 19. The competition will begin on Monday at Bashundhara Sports City Cricket ground. Two matches will be held on Monday and the final match will be held on December 26.

Dhaka Metropolis reached the final of the National Cricket League (NCL) T20 by defeating Khulna Division by 38 runs at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. They will face Rangpur Division in the final on Tuesday, December 24, at the same venue. In the day's Qualifier-2 match, Dhaka Metropolis won the toss and chose to bat first, scoring 119 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Opener and team captain Mohammad Naim top-scored with 57 runs off 53 balls, hitting six fours and one six. NCL T20 Final: Rangpur to face Dhaka Metro on Tuesday Masum Khan and Sheikh Parvez Jibon were the standout bowlers for Khulna Division, each taking two wickets. Khan conceded 16 runs, while Jibon gave away 17 runs. In response, Khulna Division was bowled out for 81 runs in 17.4 overs. Captain Nurul Hasan was the top scorer for Khulna, making 22 runs off 18 balls, including two fours and one six. Mosaddek Hossain was the pick of the bowlers for Dhaka Metropolis, claiming three wickets for just 13 runs. Victory Day Hockey Tournament begins Monday Rakibul Hasan and Maruf Mridha also impressed, each taking two wickets. Rakibul conceded 16 runs, while Mridha gave away 20 runs.  

The Victory Day Hockey Tournament, organised by Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF), begins on Monday at the Maulana Bhashani National Stadium here.                   Bangladesh Navy will play BKSP in the opening match on Monday. Six teams, split into two groups, will compete in the tournament on league basis matches. NCL T20 Final: Rangpur to face Dhaka Metro on Tuesday General Secretary of the newly formed Hockey Committee Lt Coln Riazul Hasan (retd) disclosed this at a press conference here on Sunday. Participating team are: Group A – Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Police and BKSP. Group B – Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Air Force and Hockey Players Welfare Okkiya Parishad. India beat Bangladesh to win U-19 Women’s Asia Cup final Later, the group champions and runners –up teams will play in the semifinals. The final match will be held on December 30.

England cricket star Ben Stokes has been left out of the squad for the Champions Trophy in February and March next year because of injury. Stokes, England's test captain, has not played a one-day international since the 2023 World Cup but said he was open to returning to the white-ball set-up following Brendon McCullum’s appointment as head coach across all formats in September. However, the 33-year-old Stokes suffered a recurrence of a hamstring problem during the recent test series in New Zealand and was not included in a 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy announced by the England and Wales Cricket Board on Sunday. Stokes previously missed the summer series against Sri Lanka at home and the first test of the three-match test series in Pakistan in the autumn because of hamstring issues. Joe Root returned to the squad having been away from the international white-ball scene for more than a year and Jos Buttler was back as captain after missing the ODI team’s most recent series in the West Indies. Sam Curran, Will Jacks and Reece Topley all missed out after failing to further their claims in the Caribbean. Jofra Archer did enough to prove his fitness and was included, as was fellow seamer Saqib Mahmood despite limited opportunities. The squad will play five T20 internationals and three ODIs in India from January before travelling to the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. Spinner Rehan Ahmed will feature in the initial T20 leg of the tour before dropping out, while Root will only link up with the squad when the ODI program begins in India. ___ England squad: Jos Buttler (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.

Rangpur Division and Dhaka Metro are set to clash in the final of the inaugural National Cricket League (NCL) T20 on Tuesday in Sylhet.   Dhaka Metro entered the final as the favorites, having won all eight of their matches in the tournament. In contrast, Rangpur secured five wins out of seven games to reach the final.   Dhaka Metro’s best batter has been Mohammad Naim, who scored over 300 runs, including three half-centuries. India beat Bangladesh to win U-19 Women’s Asia Cup final Their bowling attack, led by Rakibul Hasan, Arafat Al Islam, and Abu Hider Roney, has been formidable. Rakibul scalped 14 wickets, while Al Islam and Abu Hider have taken 12 wickets each.   For Rangpur, Akbar Ali has been a key player, amassing over 200 runs with two half-centuries. He received strong support from Tanbir Hayder, who scored 191 runs.  On the bowling department, Alauddin Babu has been exceptional, claiming 16 wickets—making him the second-highest wicket-taker of the tournament, behind Ahmed Sharif of Chattogram with 17 wickets.   BCB announces much-needed pay rise for women cricketers with central contracts The tournament featured all teams from the NCL competing in its first-ever T20 edition, adding a new competition to the domestic cricket calendar of Bangladesh. The main aim of this event is to give some match practice to the players ahead of BPL— the country’s premium T20 event. 

Bangladesh fell short in their chase for the ACC U-19 Women’s Asia Cup title, losing to India by 41 runs in the final in Malaysia on Sunday. It was the second defeat of Bangladesh to India in the tournament. Despite a disciplined bowling performance, Bangladesh’s batting lineup crumbled under pressure during the modest chase of 118 runs. U-19 cricketers get cash bonus from BCB for Asia Cup triumph Bangladesh started bowling well, reducing India 25 for two. Pacer Farzana Yasmin led the attack with an impressive haul of 4 for 31, while Nishita Akter supported with 2 for 23.  But, a 41-run third-wicket partnership between Gongadi Trisha and Niki Prasad helped India recover. Trisha top-scored with 52 runs as India posted 117 forb7 in their allotted 20 overs. Bangladesh’s chase began slowly, reaching 35 for 2 in the powerplay. However, their innings stalled in the middle overs, with no boundaries scored and the required run rate climbing. Losing four wickets for just 13 runs in the final stages, Bangladesh were bowled out for 76 in 18.3 overs. Juairiya Ferdous contributed 22 runs, while Fahomida Choya added 18, but their efforts were not enough against India’s disciplined bowling. Ayushi Shukla claimed 3 wickets for 17, dismantling Bangladesh’s middle and lower order. It was the maiden edition of the event, where eight teams participated.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has approved a salary increase for the women’s national cricket team as part of their new central contract for the 2024-25 season. The announcement came following the BCB’s 16th board meeting at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Saturday. Under the revised structure, players in Grade A will now earn BDT 1,20,000 per month, a rise of BDT 20,000, while those in Grade B will receive BDT 1,00,000, also up by BDT 20,000. Grade C and D players will see their monthly salaries increase by BDT 10,000, to BDT 70,000 and BDT 60,000, respectively.  U-19 cricketers get cash bonus from BCB for Asia Cup triumph The central contract includes 18 players, with Sharmin Akter Supta, Murshida Khatun, Marufa Akter, and Rabeya receiving promotions to higher salary grades.  The BCB introduced a match and series-winning bonus system for the women’s team. Bonuses range from BDT 30,000 to BDT 1,00,000 depending on the ranking of the opposing team and match format.  To provide financial stability for a broader pool of players, the board has also launched the Women’s National Contract, covering 30 additional players outside the central contract.   “This step is a reflection of our effort to ensure the financial well-being of our women cricketers while motivating them to perform at the highest level,” Faruque Ahmed, the president of the BCB, said. Women cricketers in new national contract (2024-2025): Grade A: Nigar Sultana Joty, Farzana Haque, Ritu Moni, and Nahida Akter. Grade B:  the players are Fahima Khatun, Shamima Sultana, Sharmin Akter Supta, Murshida Khatun, Marufa Akter, and Rabeya. Grade C: Sobhana Mostary, Lata Mondol, Jahanara Alam, and Shoma Akter. Grade D: Disha Biswas, Sultana Khatun, Dilara Akter, and Shathi Rani.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Faruque Ahmed has left the door open for Shakib Al Hasan’s inclusion in the ICC Champions Trophy squad but admitted to having no updates on the all-rounder’s current status about playing for Bangladesh. Speaking after a board meeting in Mirpur, Faruque acknowledged Shakib’s eligibility for selection but said his participation remains uncertain.  “Shakib’s case is a completely different matter. This isn’t new. During the last series against the West Indies, he wasn’t mentally prepared to play, so he didn’t travel. Now, whether he will play in the BPL is something only he can decide. I don’t have any updates on his situation,” Faruque told reporters.  Despite Shakib’s absence from recent series and his retirement from Tests and T20Is, Faruque reiterated that as long as a player has not retired, they remain available for selection.  However it is doubtful whether Shakib could be minded to officially announce his retirement anymore, after the hostile reaction to his desire to retire from Test cricket by appearing in the home series against South Africa last month. U-19 cricketers get cash bonus from BCB for Asia Cup triumph On Tamim Iqbal, who has been out of the national side for over a year, Faruque said the decision lies with the selectors. “The chief selector has already spoken about Tamim. There’s no special policy yet. If a player hasn’t retired and the selectors feel they are needed, they will engage in discussions with that player,” he explained. In the ongoing inaugural edition of the National Cricket League T20, Tamim showed promising form. But his participation in the Champions Trophy, which will be held next February 2025 in Pakistan, remains uncertain. Tamim had announced his retirement from T20Is in 2022. In 2023, he stunningly announced his retirement from international cricket, but was persuaded to take back that announcement in 24 hours by deposed autocrat Sheikh Hasina.