As the country's cricketing fortunes continue to be in roller-coaster mode, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday (November 13) has made a historic decision regarding the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The country's premier T20 competition has been a mixed bag in recent years but from the 2026 season onwards, there will be a major twist.
After a long gap of 12 years, the auction system is set to return to the BPL which had been in the draft system since the 2014 season onwards. In fact, the only two years when the tournament had the auction system was in 2012 and 2013. Ahead of the 2026 season, the BCB has decided to revamp the financial structure of the league through this unprecedented move.
AUCTION DATE AND VENUE
As per the latest reports, the BPL auction will be held on November 23 at one of Dhaka's major hotels. Dhaka Capitals. Chattogram Royals, Rajshahi Warriors, Rangpur Riders and Sylhet Titans are the five registered franchises for the 2026 BPL season, and their respective team managements will be present at the venue for this historic occasion.
"Organized by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the BPL Governing Council, this year's auction will mark the beginning of a new franchise ownership cycle, introducing a restructured and transparent bidding process designed to align the BPL with international T20 franchise standards," said the BCB in its official statement.
BPL AUCTION RULES AND BUDGET
There will be two major categories at the auction - local players and overseas players. Each team is allowed to pre-sign four players (two local and two overseas players) before the auction starts but it requires the approval of the BPL's Governing Council.
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There are separate budgets allocated for both the general lists and this includes the fund limit for pre-signing players. To buy local players, BPL teams have a budget of 4.50 crore Bangladeshi Taka while the budget for overseas players is $350,000.
Due to the prior history of payment issues in the tournament, a new rule has been put into place. Payments to players will be split into three - 25 percent to be paid at the time of signing, 55 percent before the team's final league game and the remainder to paid within 30 days after the season ends.