Beyond the BPL: BCB plans a new six-team T20 platform

Bangladesh cricket is preparing to give its domestic T20 structure a new identity, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board planning a six-team competition that will sit outside the Bangladesh Premier League.

The move comes at a time when the BCB is looking to reshape domestic cricket rather than depend entirely on the BPL as the main franchise-based platform for local players.

The proposed six-team structure will bring together the existing NCL T20 and the Bangladesh Cricket League's four-day and one-day competitions under a broader franchise model. While the three formats will be played at different points of the season, their player drafts are expected to be conducted together.

That could change the way domestic players move between formats.

Instead of treating T20, one-day and four-day cricket as separate competitions, the BCB wants to create a connected system in which players can remain attached to a team and build a longer-term relationship with it.

The six franchises are expected to be offered to corporate organisations through ownership or sponsorship arrangements. The BCB itself does not plan to operate any of the teams.

The timing also gives the tournament a particular significance. With the BPL postponed for the current season, the new competition can provide another opportunity for domestic players to earn money and remain active in competitive cricket.

But the BCB is not presenting it simply as a replacement for the BPL.

The larger idea is to strengthen the domestic base. National team players could also feature when their international commitments and workload allow, while players from the High Performance and Under-23 programmes would have a route into a stronger domestic environment.

The six-team model may also make the domestic calendar easier to manage. Rather than adding another competition to an already crowded season, the BCB plans to reorganise tournaments that already exist.

The real test will come after the first season. A domestic franchise competition will only add lasting value if it gives emerging players regular matches, meaningful roles and a clear route towards higher-level cricket.

For Bangladesh, the ambition is therefore bigger than another T20 tournament. It is an attempt to build a domestic platform that can operate beyond the reach and limitations of the BPL.