BPL adds new franchise Noakhali Express

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is set to feature six teams in its upcoming 12th edition with the addition of a new franchise, Noakhali Express, expanding the tournament from the previously announced five-team format.

BPL governing council member secretary Iftekhar Rahman Mithu confirmed the decision at a press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Wednesday (November 26), announcing that the tournament will begin on December 19.

As per the proposed schedule, the season opener will take place at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, while the final is slated for 16 January in Mirpur.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) also plans to host an opening ceremony in Dhaka on December 17, and a newly designed trophy will be introduced for the tournament.

This season’s franchises are Rangpur Riders, Chattogram Royals, Dhaka Capitals, Noakhali Express, Rajshahi Warriors, and Sylhet Titans.

For the first time in nearly a decade, teams will form their squads through an auction, scheduled for Sunday at the Radisson Blu hotel in Dhaka, where 250 foreign players and selected local players will be available. Each franchise may sign two local and two foreign players through direct contracts, while at least 12 players must be picked from the auction.

Local players will be divided into six categories with base prices from Tk 11 lakh to Tk 50 lakh, while foreign players will have five categories with a maximum base price of USD 35,000.

Excluding two directly contracted locals, franchises must build their squads within a budget of Tk 4.5 crore, with an additional cap of USD 350,000 for foreign signings.