The Kabul Tribune (KT) — ESPNcricinfo has reported that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has launched a three-team T20 tournament titled the Odommo Bangladesh T20 Cup, set to begin Feb. 5.
According to the report, the competition will feature the
country’s top cricketers, who are missing the T20 World Cup after the
Bangladesh government barred the team from traveling to India.
Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Akbar Ali will captain
Dhumketu XI, Durbar XI and Duronto XI, respectively. Each team will play the
others once in a round-robin format on Feb. 5, 6 and 7, with the top two sides
advancing to the final on Feb. 9. All matches will be held at the Shere Bangla
National Stadium in Dhaka.
ESPNcricinfo reported that the BCB has introduced the impact
player rule for the tournament, marking the first time the regulation will be
used in an official match in Bangladesh. Under the rule, a member of the
starting XI can be replaced at any stage of the match by a 12th player selected
from a list announced at the toss.
The tournament has been granted official T20 status by the
BCB and carries total prize money and fees worth approximately 25 million taka
(about $204,500), according to a press release cited in the report.
Some Bangladesh players have expressed concern about missing
the T20 World Cup but have not disclosed details of their Jan. 24 meeting with
government officials.
Bangladesh’s participation in the World Cup became uncertain
after sports adviser Asif Nazrul said the team would not travel to India, days
after the Board of Control for Cricket in India withdrew Mustafizur Rahman from
the Indian Premier League. The situation led to negotiations between the
International Cricket Council and Bangladesh falling through, after which the
ICC named Scotland as Bangladesh’s replacement.
The report added that Bangladesh’s domestic season has seen
limited on-field activity, with several teams boycotting Dhaka leagues. The
Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League has not yet been held for the 2025-26
season.
