- By Vishal Pushkar
- Fri, 16 Jan 2026 10:13 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Bangladesh Cricketers, who went on an indefinite boycott for the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League, are all set to return to play BPL (Bangladesh Premier League) after a series of talks between the BCB (Bangladesh Cricket Board) and Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) on Thursday. Notably, several Bangladesh Cricket players opted for a boycott after BCB Director M Nazmul Islam referred to former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal as an 'Indian Agent'.
The controversial remarks by Islam were a reaction to Tamim's suggestion, as he suggested dialogue between the Cricket boards of India and Bangladesh to resolve the deadlock post the release of the speedster Mustafizur Rahman from the KKR squad amidst ongoing atrocities against minorities in the country.
The final nail in the coffin was Islam's statement, in which he claimed that BCB does not owe the team any compensation if the players miss the T20 World Cup and pointed to their not winning major trophies.
Bangladesh players launched a tirade against Islam for his comments as they demanded his removal from his post with immediate effect. The BCB questioned him about the remarks and relieved him of his duties as head of the finance committee. However, he did not step down from his position as BCB's director. Despite all this, the cricketers ultimately reversed their decision to boycott and agreed to resume playing.
After a tripartite meeting between the players, CWAB, and the BCB, the current situation has been resolved. From Friday, the cricketers will be back on the field, and as a result, there have been some slight changes to the BPL schedule.
The BPL 2026 matches scheduled for January 15, 2026 (Chattogram Royals vs Noakhali Express and Rajshahi Warriors vs Sylhet Titans), will now be played on Friday, January 16. The matches originally scheduled for January 16 and 17 will be shifted by a day and will be held on January 17 and 18, respectively.
The Eliminator and Qualifier 1, scheduled to be held on January 19, have been shifted to January 20.
Inputs from Agency