The Bangladesh Cricket Board has unveiled a new short-format domestic tournament named the Odommo Bangladesh T20 Cup, which will begin on February 5. The competition has been created to provide high-quality match exposure for the country’s leading cricketers who will be absent from the upcoming T20 World Cup following the government’s decision to restrict travel to India.
The tournament will be contested by three teams — Dhumketu XI, Durbar XI, and Duronto XI — all led by experienced international players. Litton Das will captain Dhumketu XI, Najmul Hossain Shanto will head Durbar XI, while Akbar Ali has been entrusted with the leadership of Duronto XI. Each team will face the others once in a round-robin format.
Group-stage matches will take place on February 5, 6, and 7, after which the top two sides on the points table will progress to the final scheduled for February 9. All matches will be hosted at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka, ensuring a centralized and streamlined tournament structure.
One of the key highlights of the Odommo Bangladesh T20 Cup is the implementation of the Impact Player rule, which will be used for the first time in an officially recognised match in Bangladesh. This rule allows teams to replace a player from the starting eleven with a nominated substitute at any stage of the match, adding a new strategic dimension to the game.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board has granted the competition full T20 status. The total prize pool and player participation fees together amount to Tk 2.5 crore, underlining the board’s commitment to rewarding performance and maintaining competitive standards.
The tournament arrives during a challenging phase for Bangladesh cricket. Several players have reportedly expressed disappointment at missing the global T20 event, although details of discussions with government officials have not been made public. Following unsuccessful negotiations, Bangladesh were eventually replaced in the World Cup lineup by Scotland.
With limited domestic cricket action this season and multiple local competitions disrupted, the Odommo Bangladesh T20 Cup is expected to play a crucial role in keeping top players match-ready while sustaining the overall quality of the domestic cricket ecosystem.
