Bangladesh Cricketers Set To Resume BPL Play Following BCB Official's Ouster Upon Controversial Take

The cricketers of Bangladesh are all set to return to the field after boycotting the action during the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The cricketers' boycott stemmed from BCB director Nazmul Islam's controversial remarks in labelling Tamim Iqbal as an 'Indian agent'.

Tamim Iqbal had suggested resolving the ongoing standoff between the BCB and the BCCI ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. This led to the BCB director's disputed remark, leading to backlash from the cricketers.

Following the backlash over the inclusion of Mustafizur Rahman in KKR, the BCCI advised letting go of the Bangladesh fast bowler amid the atrocities against the minority Hindus in Bangladesh. It further strained Indo-Bangla cricketing ties as the BCB chickened out of travelling to India, citing safety concerns.

Bangladesh Cricket Reverse Boycott, BPL To Resume

The Bangladesh cricketers will return to action in BPL 2025-26 following a tripartite meet between the Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). The situation is said to be resolved, and the players will return to the field on Friday.

The cricketers had demanded the removal of Nazmul Islam from his duties as the BCB director, following which the Board removed him from his duties as head of the finance committee.

However, the person who labelled Tamim Iqbal as an 'Indian Agent' has not stepped down from the position of director in the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

Despite the non-removal of Nazmul Islam from the BCB, the players have agreed to call off the boycott and resume playing.

Also Read: 'He Should’ve Played With A Strike Rate Of 80': Irfan Pathan Criticizes India All-Rounder's Performance After 2nd ODI Loss To NZ

Major Shifts Announced In BPL 2025-26 Schedule

The boycott of Bangladesh's players has led to a major shift in BPL's schedule. The league matches that were supposed to take place on January 15 will now take place on the following day (January 16, 2026).

The Bangladesh Premier League matches that were supposed to take place on January 16 and 17 have been shifted a day forward. They will now take place on January 17 and 18, 2026.  

Also Read: Bangladesh Cricket Board Sacks Director Nazmul Islam As Team Refuses To Play BPL

The Eliminator and Qualifier 1 matches, which were scheduled to take place on January 19, have also been shifted to January 20, 2026.