When Will BPL 2026 Start Again? Here Are All the Details

The 12th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2026 kicked off on December 26. Six franchises participated in the tournament with a round robin format, followed by playoffs and a final. With anticipation high among the fans, the league got underway in Sylhet and delivered several exciting matches in the first few weeks.

However, on 15 January 2026, the tournament suddenly came to a halt when players from multiple franchises refused to take the field in Dhaka, boycotting matches in protest over controversial remarks made by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director. Now, the tournament is likely to restart.

When Will BPL 2026 Start Again?

The first scheduled game of the Dhaka leg was boycotted by the players as no one came for the toss from both teams. This incident left the fans and the organisers in surprise. It also affected the reputation of the league where some of the best cricketers in the world participate. This situation arose when a senior board official, M Nazmul Islam, made some inappropriate comments where he called Tamim Iqbal an ‘Indian agent’.

The comments didn't sit well with the players and a BPL boycott initiated. The BCB then went to on to have an emergency meeting and after some discussions, Nazmul Islam was released from his responsibilities.

In the release, the BCB said: “The BPL 2026 matches scheduled for 15 January 2026 will now be played on Friday, 16 January 2026. The matches originally scheduled for January 16 and 17 will be shifted by a day and will be held on 17 and 18 January respectively. The Eliminator and Qualifier 1, scheduled to be held on 19 January, have been shifted to January 20.”

What Were Players' Demands Before Initiating a Boycott?

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is a flagship T20 tournament in Bangladesh. Nazmul Islam, the BCB's Finance Committee Chairman and a Board Director, gave a controversial statement on Tamim Iqbal by calling him an Indian Agent over his remarks on the T20 venue controversy.

The situation got worse when Nazmul questioned the players' skills and achievements in international cricket and even asked them to return the board's money. As a result, the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), senior internationals, including Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, came together to launch the boycott.

The BPL controversy shook the country's cricketing ecosystem. The demands of the players were pretty simple: a public apology from Nazmul and his complete exit from the Bangladesh Cricket Board. While the board relieved him from his duties, he refused to give a public apology, leaving the players unsatisfied.

"The decision is aimed at ensuring the continued smooth and effective functioning of the board's affairs," the BCB stated. "The board remains fully committed to upholding the honour and dignity of all players under its jurisdiction."

The BPL has been in the negative headlines all throughout the years despite being one of the biggest cricket leagues in the world. There have been several issues regarding the payments of salaries of various international cricketers. The tournament is set to restart from January 16 in Dhaka.