‘Disappointed for not having DRS’

The year 2023 begins with focus shifting to the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as the franchise-based T20 tournament is expected to set the tone for Bangladesh cricket in the coming days.

Although the upcoming ninth edition of the BPL, set to begin from January 6, will be on a smaller scale compared to the previous occasions due to various reasons, the cricketers are gearing up to experience the familiar rivalry of the domestic circuit.

Much like the previous occasion, the upcoming edition of the BPL will not involve the Decision Review System (DRS) until the knock-out stage, and the issue has raised questions ahead of the competition's opening.

Comilla Victorians head coach Mohammad Salahuddin expressed his disappointment over not having the DRS. He stated that the absence of the technology can have a huge impact on results.

"It's a big tournament, so obviously disappointed for not having the DRS technology. You never know teams can go on to lose the tournament over a decision," Salahuddin told the media yesterday.

"Also, since there was enough time before the tournament and the board now has a lot of money, I feel having DRS was certainly expected."

Comilla are the most successful franchise in the history of BPL, winning it three times, and Salahuddin dreams of having another trophy in the cabinet.

"We are very excited. Previously we used to have two-three hours allocated for the training sessions. Even if we wanted to, we were unable to practice longer. Now, since we have our own ground there is no such barrier for us."

— Nurul Hasan Sohan, Rangpur Riders captain.

"There are only seven teams, so there is no scope of becoming second. You have to go to the field with the aim to become the number one. So, if all members of the team have the same belief, it gets easier for everyone in the team to head towards the right direction," Salahuddin added.

The other teams have also stated their preparation. Meanwhile, Rangpur Riders have taken one step forward to become the first franchise who have started training at their own ground. The Nurul Hasan Sohan-led side trained on the first day of the new year at the Bashundhara Sports Complex yesterday.

"We are very excited. Previously we used to have two-three hours allocated for the training sessions. Even if we wanted to, we were unable to practice longer. Now, since we have our own ground there is no such barrier for us," Sohan told the media yesterday.

"We started our training in the morning and we can do whenever we want and every player is able to work on their skills," he added.

Sohan, who led Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi club to the championship in the Dhaka Premier League and also won the title for Khulna Division in the first-class league, will have to prove his leadership quality for Rangpur in the upcoming edition.

"Obviously it feels good (getting the captaincy) but I think it is important to do well as a team. Our team is a mixture of both youth and experience. I think this is a very good platform and a big opportunity for the players to prove their worth," Sohan said.

Rangpur will play a practice game against Khulna Tigers on Wednesday before taking on Comilla Victorians at BPL's opening day on Friday.