National Cricket League Explained

Tournament Name:National Cricket League
Country:Bangladesh
Administrator:Bangladesh Cricket Board
First:1999–2000
Last:2024–25 (ongoing)
Current:2024–25
Participants:8
Champions:Sylhet Division (1st title)
Most Successful:Khulna Division (7 titles) and Dhaka Division (7 titles)
Most Runs:Tushar Imran (6086)
Most Wickets:Abdur Razzak (306)
Website:26th National Cricket League 2024–25
Next:2025–26

The National Cricket League is the oldest domestic first-class cricket competition in Bangladesh. It is contested by teams representing seven of the eight regional divisions of Bangladesh (there is no team from Mymensingh Division) as well as a team from the Dhaka metropolitan area.

History and format

The National Cricket League was inaugurated in the 1999–2000 season but was not then first-class. Bangladesh became the tenth Full Member of the ICC in 2000 and the league became first-class in the 2000–01 season. Limited-overs and Twenty20 tournaments with the same name have also been played in the past.

Since 2011–12 there have been eight teams in the league, which usually runs from October to December. From 2011–12 to 2014–15 each team played each other team once over the course of the season. From 2015–16 to 2023–24 there was a two-tier league: Rangpur, Khulna, Dhaka Division and Dhaka Metropolis were in the first tier in 2015–16, and Rajshahi, Sylhet, Barisal and Chittagong in the second.[1] After each season the bottom team of tier 1 and the top team of tier 2 swapped places for the next season's competition.[2] For the 2024–25 season the league reverted to an eight-team round-robin.

The league is also known under its main sponsor's name. In 2015–16 it was officially the "Walton LED TV 17th National Cricket League". In October 2019 the Walton Group became the title sponsor of NCL for the next three years, and the league would be known officially as the "Walton NCL".[3] [4] In 2024–25 it is the "Modhumoti Bank 26th National Cricket League".[5]

Teams

Logo Team CaptainHome Ground Participation Titles
since 1999–2000 0
Shamim Hossainsince 1999–2000 1
since 1999–2000 7
Mohammad Naim2000–01 and since 2011–12 0
since 1999–2000 7
since 1999–2000 6
Akbar Alisince 2011–12 2
Amite Hasansince 1999–2000 1

Defunct teams

Winners

Winners of the National Cricket League in each season are:[6]

Season Winner
Chittagong Division (NB: 1999–2000 was not a first-class competition)
Biman Bangladesh Airlines
Dhaka Division
Khulna Division
Dhaka Division
Dhaka Division
Rajshahi Division
Dhaka Division
Khulna Division
Rajshahi Division
Rajshahi Division
Rajshahi Division
Rajshahi Division
Khulna Division
Dhaka Division
Rangpur Division
Khulna Division
Khulna Division
Khulna Division
Rajshahi Division
Khulna Division
Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
Dhaka Division
Rangpur Division
Dhaka Division
Sylhet Division

Records

Highest team scores[7]

class="wikitable" width="60%"
TotalFor and againstVenueSeason
756/5dDhaka Division v. Rajshahi Division2013–14
675/9dRajshahi Division v. Chittagong DivisionChittagong2013–14
668Rajshahi Division v. Dhaka MetropolisBKSP2017–18
668Barisal Division v. Rangpur DivisionBKSP2014–15

Lowest team scores[8]

class="wikitable" width="60%"
TotalFor and againstVenueSeason
46Barisal Division v. Khulna DivisionKhulna2023–24
48Dhaka Metro v. Rangpur DivisionBogra2013–14
54Barisal Division v. Chittagong DivisionSylhet2023–24

Most runs in an innings[9]

class="wikitable" width="60%"
TotalBatsmanFor and againstVenueSeason
295Nasir HossainRangpur Division v. Barisal DivisionRajshahi2017–18
282Mosaddek HossainBarisal Division v. Chittagong DivisionBKSP2014–15
259Farhad RezaRajshahi Division v. Chittagong DivisionBKSP2013–14

Best bowling in an innings[10]

class="wikitable" width="60%"
TotalBowlerFor and againstVenueSeason
9/84Abdur RazzakKhulna Division v. Chittagong DivisionBogra2012–13
9/91Abdur RazzakKhulna Division v. Dhaka Metropolis2013–14
8/10Mahedi HasanKhulna Division v. Barisal DivisionKhulna2023–24

National Cricket League One-Day winners

The National Cricket League one-day competition is no longer held. It has been superseded by the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League as Bangladesh's List A competition.

National Cricket League Twenty20 Winners

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Last-gasp win gives Rangpur maiden title. Cricinfo. 13 March 2015.
  2. Web site: All eyes on Liton as Rangpur eye return to tier one. Cricinfo. 25 September 2016.
  3. Web site: Walton Group becomes the title sponsor of NCL. bplscorelive.com. 8 October 2019.
  4. Web site: Bangladesh Cricket Board. BCB. 20 October 2015.
  5. Web site: Modhumoti Bank 26th National Cricket League (NCL) 2024-25 . BCB . 6 November 2024.
  6. Web site: A brief history of Bangladesh domestic cricket. ESPNcricinfo. 23 April 2014.
  7. Web site: ESPN Cricinfo : Highest totals For National Cricket League .
  8. Web site: Cricinfo : Lowest totals For National Cricket League .
  9. Web site: High scores for National Cricket League . ESPN Cricinfo. 13 September 2024.
  10. Web site: Cricinfo. Best bowling figures in an innings for National Cricket League. 13 September 2024.