The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025-26 season has been postponed indefinitely. Amid intense protests, anger, and public boycotts by players, the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) plans for the league have come to a complete halt. Due to an unprecedented situation, none of the BPL matches scheduled for Thursday (January 15) were held. Players collectively refused to take the field and publicly boycotted the matches. The matches were suddenly cancelled in front of spectators, officials, and broadcast media. At that very moment, it became clear that the current season of the Bangladesh Premier League would not proceed further, leaving the league shrouded in uncertainty.
Also Read | ICC names Mitchell Starc best cricketer of December 2025, first time in two years
League postponed amid major protests
This entire controversy stemmed from controversial comments by Nazmul Islam, chairman of BCB's Finance Committee. Nazmul had recently said that if Bangladesh does not go to India to play the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, the board would suffer no financial loss, and only the players would lose out as they would not receive match fees. He further stated regarding compensation, "We spend so much money on them. Yet they fail to perform in various places. Have we won a single world-class trophy to date? If cricketers could be asked to return money after repeated failures, that would be right."
Nazmul Islam's statement did not sit well with the players, and the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) demanded his resignation. They also announced that if Nazmul did not resign before the BPL matches, players would no longer play cricket. As a result, players did not come to the field at the scheduled match time on Thursday, and the match was cancelled. Subsequently, BCB removed Nazmul Islam from his position as Finance Committee chairman, along with all other responsibilities. However, Mohammad Mithun, president of the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh, clearly stated at a press conference that players would not take the field without written guarantees.
Only 24 matches played so far
This season, a total of 34 matches were supposed to be held in the BPL. But only 24 matches have been played. The two matches scheduled for January 15 were cancelled. Therefore, it is difficult to say when this league will start again. If the league resumes, the two cancelled matches may be replayed. This season's final was originally scheduled for January 23.
