After years of promises and postponements, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is finally ready to roll out the Women’s Bangladesh Premier League. Scheduled from April 4 to April 14, the inaugural WBPL will feature three teams, with the tournament set to begin in Chattogram and conclude in Dhaka. It is a great time for the league to start, as the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 is also scheduled to take place in June.
But to have starpower in the league, the BCB has invited Indian players to play in the league. The BCB has made it clear that Indian women cricketers will be welcome to participate, notwithstanding the diplomatic strain between the two boards ahead of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
The relationship had frayed when Mustafizur Rahman was released from IPL 2026 following BCCI directives amid geopolitical tensions. In protest, Bangladesh refused to travel to India for the T20 World Cup and were subsequently ejected by the ICC. The anit-India stance in Bangladesh led them out of the World Cup as ICC replaced them with Scotland. Now, with political winds shifting after Bangladesh’s general elections, there appears to be an attempt to reset.
“We are open to all”: BCB
Rubaba Dowla, chairperson of the BCB Women’s Wing and the WBPL Governing Council, confirmed there will be no country-specific restrictions.
“We are open to all,” she said when asked about Indian participation. “There is no country-specific restriction. Whoever shows interest, and whichever teams want to bring such players, can do so. It is open to all, so we will see.”
Dowla added that several international players have already expressed interest, and teams will now begin formal recruitment. The league will follow a draft system rather than an auction, with a structured pay scale for local players. Icon players are set to earn BDT 10 lakh, while Category A will receive BDT 7 lakh, Category B BDT 5 lakh, Category C BDT 3 lakh and Category D BDT 1.5 lakh.
Each team must include at least two overseas players, potentially three or four, same as the IPL and WPL’s overseas participation model. The BCB officially initiated preparations this week at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, holding its first coordination meeting. “All arrangements for the Women’s BPL are currently underway. We are holding regular meetings. The Governing Council and the working committee are planning together how to execute the tournament in the best possible way,” Dowla said.
