Bangladesh Premier League action returned to the field on Friday as the Dhaka leg started with a decent crowd at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.

As the world stepped into 2026, Bangladesh's leading sports figures struck a delicate balance between grief and grit, using the new year not merely for celebration, but for reflection, responsibility, and renewed ambition.

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) places heavy expectations on players from the franchises’ side, creating a competitive grind that sharpens Bangladesh’s national team toolbox, particularly those in the pipeline. From that perspective, the BPL offers a major platform to showcase performance in franchise cricket, but this time it presents a unique opportunity for players aiming to break into the Bangladesh T20I squad ahead of the World Cup in February.

As it often happens, a victory -- especially before a major tournament -- can lift the mood within the Bangladesh team.

On the eve of the T20I series against Ireland last week in Chattogram, Litton Das vented his frustration over the squad selection carried out by the selectors. He publicly revealed that Shamim Hossain had been dropped without his knowledge, triggering widespread debate.

When Litton Das was asked on Tuesday whether he was satisfied with fetching Tk 70 lakh at the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) auction on Sunday, he stopped the reporter mid-question and asked with a smirk, “Wasn’t it 75 lakh? I thought it was 75!”

Litton’s comments came following Bangladesh’s commanding eight-wicket victory over Ireland in Chattogram, a win that sealed the three-match T20I series 2–1

The Bangladesh-Ireland T20I series -- the Tigers’ final T20 assignment before February-March’s T20 World Cup -- was expected to be straightforward for the hosts. The plan was simple: secure the series in the first two matches and use the final game to test new options ahead of the global event.

During the 11th over of Bangladesh's chase of 171 in the second T20I against Ireland in Chattogram on Saturday, Litton Das attempted to hit a six, only to be brilliantly caught at deep mid-wicket by Gareth Delany.

Bangladesh benefited from a rare technicality that turned a potential wicket into six runs.

Bangladesh need 171 runs to win

A day before the start of an international series, Bangladesh T20I captain Litton Das drags the selectors into the dock and expresses deep dissatisfaction with the cricket operations department’s policies. Even though such drama becomes material for the media ahead of a low-profile series, for any team or cricket board, it’s an uncomfortable scene. 

As Bangladesh take on Ireland in the first of three T20Is in Chattogram today -- their final international assignment before next year's ICC T20 World Cup -- a dispute between skipper Litton Das and chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu over the omission of Shamim Hossain has overshadowed the game and taken centre-stage.

Bangladesh T20I skipper Litton Das has expressed strong frustration over Shamim’s exclusion, claiming it occurred without any prior communication from the selectors or the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

Bangladesh skipper Litton Das has voiced strong frustration after Shamim Hossain was dropped from the squad for the first two T20Is of the three-match series against Ireland -- starting tomorrow in Chattogram -- without any prior communication from the selectors or the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

Bangladesh have seized control over the Dhaka Test after reducing Ireland to 98-5 and ending the second day leading the visitors by 378 runs at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Tuesday announced a reshuffle in leadership roles across all three formats, appointing Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Najmul Hossain Shanto, and Saif Hassan as vice-captains of the Test, ODI, and T20I teams, respectively.

Bangladesh batted for just three overs after tea before declaring their first innings on 587-8 with a 301-run lead over Ireland on Day 3 of the first Test at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Bangladesh T20 captain Litton Das believes the upcoming break will help his side recover from a hectic schedule and return stronger for their next assignment against Ireland later this month.

Bangladesh skipper Litton Das on Friday blamed the heavy dew for his team’s defeat in the third and final match of the three-match T20I series against the West Indies in Chattogram.