Sylhet to host entire NCL T20

The upcoming National Cricket League T20 will now be held in the two venues in Sylhet -- SICS and Sylhet Outer Stadium -- as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had to change its initial plan of holding the four play-off matches at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) in Mirpur. 

According to a BCB official, the play-off matches have been shifted from Mirpur to Sylhet as the SBNCS will be needed to host a concert, marking the next edition of the Bangladesh Premier League.   

"The whole tournament [NCL T20] will be held in Sylhet now. We didn't get the Bangladesh Army Stadium from the ministry for the BPL opening concert on December 23. That's why we have to shift those play-off matches to Sylhet," a BCB official told The Daily Star today.

According to the official, each venue in Sylhet will host two matches in a day and after every two rounds [until round four], there will be a one-day break. The last three rounds will be held without any gaps.

The eight-team NCL T20 will get underway on December 11, with the final scheduled for December 24. The tournament will be followed by the 11th edition of the BPL, which will begin on December 30.