The Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, also known as the Dhaka Premier League, is a club List A tournament in Bangladesh.
History
Since its inauguration in 1973–74 the league has been the premier club cricket competition in Bangladesh. It gained List A status starting with the 2013–14 tournament, thus superseding the National Cricket League One-Day as Bangladesh's main List A competition.
In the years from 1973–74 to 2011–12, Abahani Limited won the championship 17 times. Other winners were Mohammedan Sporting Club nine times, Biman Bangladesh Airlines five times, Victoria Sporting Club four times, Old DOHS Sports Club twice and Brothers Union once. There was no tournament in 2012–13.
To commemorate the centenary of the birth of the founding father of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the 2019–20 season of the league was named "Bangabandhu Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League 2019–20". However, the competition was postponed shortly after starting and later abandoned, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. The next tournament, in 2021–22, was officially named the "Bangabandhu Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League 2021–2022 sponsored by Walton".
List A winners
Since the tournament gained List A status, the winners have been: 2013–14: Gazi Tank Cricketers 2014–15: Prime Bank 2015–16: Abahani Limited 2006–17: Gazi Group Cricketers 2017–18: Abahani Limited 2018–19: Abahani Limited 2019–20: abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic 2020–21: cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 2021–22: Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club 2022–23: Abahani Limited
Format
The competition is played as a round-robin, followed by play-off rounds among the top six teams for the championship and among the lowest three teams to determine relegation.
The 2013–14 competition ran from September to November 2014; the 2014–15 competition ran from November 2014 to January 2015; the 2015–16 competition ran from April to June 2016; the 2016–17 competition ran from April to June 2017; the 2017–18 competition ran from February to April 2018; the 2018–19 competition ran from March to April 2019; the 2019–20 competition began in March 2020, but was almost immediately postponed owing to the COVID-19 pandemic; the next tournament, 2021–22, ran from March to April 2022, and the 2022–23 tournament ran from March to May 2023.
All matches are played on neutral grounds in the Dhaka area. In 2016–17 only three grounds were used: Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah, and Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan No 3 and No 4 Grounds in Savar. The same three grounds were used in 2017–18 and 2018–19, as well as Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
Players
The system of allocating players to clubs varies from season to season, but has elements of lottery. Players frequently change clubs between seasons. Imrul Kayes, for example, played for Victoria Sporting Club in 2006–07 and 2014–15, Mohammedan Sporting Club in 2007–08, 2011–12 and 2022–23, Gazi Tank Cricketers in 2008–09 and 2013–14, Abahani Limited in 2009–10 and 2010–11, Brothers Union in 2015–16, Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club in 2016–17 and 2021–22, and Gazi Group Cricketers in 2017–18 and 2018–19. Of the 22 players who appeared for Brothers Union in 2013–14, only two were among the 20 Brothers Union players in 2014–15.
From the 1980s to the 2019–20 competition most teams included players from outside Bangladesh. In 2013–14 82 foreign players played in the competition. Beginning with the 2015–16 competition, only one foreign player has been allowed in any playing eleven, although clubs are allowed to have several foreign players on their list; in 2015–16 36 foreign players took part, including 22 Indians and 10 Sri Lankans. Foreign players were excluded from the 2019–20 competition, but were allowed again for the 2021–22 competition, with no more than one foreign player per team per match.
Teams
There are 12 participating teams, changing each season with promotion and relegation. The two lowest-finishing teams are demoted to the second division (known as the Dhaka First Division League) for the next season and the top two teams in the second division are promoted.
2013–14
Abahani Limited
Brothers Union
Cricket Coaching School
Gazi Tank Cricketers
Kala Bagan Cricket Academy
Kala Bagan Krira Chakra
Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity
Mohammedan Sporting Club
Prime Bank
Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club
Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club
Victoria Sporting Club
Cricket Coaching School played the first six matches but were demoted after failing to arrive at their seventh match in time to play.