BPL 2025-26: Why was the clash between Chattogram Royals & Noakhali Express delayed? Revealed

CWAB has called for a boycott across cricket in Bangladesh after the BCB director’s offensive remarks on players.

Chattogram Royals and Noakhali Express are supposed to clash in match 25 of the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL 2025-26) at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Mirpur on January 15, 2026. However, the match has been delayed as both teams have reportedly refused to come to the venue.

This comes after the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) demanded that all cricket be boycotted nationwide unless M. Nazmul Islam, the director of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), submitted his resignation.

After Islam, the head of the board’s financial committee, said earlier on Wednesday that national cricket players should be forced to reimburse the “crores and crores of taka” that the BCB spends on them, the players have called for a boycott.

Nazmul’s remarks are part of the ongoing controversy surrounding the BCB’s decision to forgo playing matches in India during the 2019 T20 World Cup.

Nazmul was asked what would happen to Bangladesh’s finances if they didn’t participate in the T20 World Cup 2026. In response, he said that this would only harm the cricket players, and if they were excluded, the board would not receive any compensation.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Cricket Board distanced itself from its director, M. Nazmul Isla,m and issued him a show-cause notice.

“The board has already initiated formal disciplinary proceedings against the board member concerned. A show-cause letter has been issued, and the individual has been instructed to submit a written response within 48 hours. The matter will be dealt with through due process, and appropriate action will be taken based on the outcome of the proceedings,” the BCB statement read.

Dhaka League is also affected by boycott calls

For this, the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh demanded a boycott unless the director steps down. As a result, the Dhaka Cricket League’s four planned first-division games did not begin on Thursday morning.

The BPL 2025–26 match between Chattogram Royals and Noakhali Express, scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed, according to ESPNCricinfo, as neither team showed up for the 12:30 pm local time toss. The game was scheduled to start at 1:00 PM local time.

Match referee Shipar Ahmed told ESPNcricinfo that officials were standing on the ground and were unsure about the situation. 

“We are standing in the middle of the ground. We don’t know what’s happening. The BPL technical committee can tell you better,” Shipar Ahmed, match referee of the Chattogram-Noakhali match, told ESPNcricinfo.

On January 15, there are two BPL games planned. According to ESPNcricinfo, Noakhali coach Khaled Mahmud and team captains Najmul Hossain Shanto (Rajshahi Warriors), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Sylhet Titans), Mahedi Hasan (Chattogram Royals), and Mithun (Dhaka Capitals) have all expressed support for the boycott.

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