# National Cricket League

The National Cricket League (Bengali: জাতীয় ক্রিকেট লিগ) is the oldest domestic first-class cricket competition in Bangladesh. It is contested by teams representing seven of the eight regional divisions of Bangladesh (there is no team from Mymensingh Division) as well as a team from the Dhaka metropolitan area.

## History and format

The National Cricket League was inaugurated in the 1999–2000 season but was not then first-class. Bangladesh became the tenth Full Member of the International Cricket Council in 2000 and the league became first-class in the 2000–01 season. Limited-overs and Twenty20 tournaments with the same name have also been played in the past.
Since 2011–12 there have been eight teams in the league, which usually runs from October to December. From 2011–12 to 2014–15 each team played each other team once over the course of the season. From 2015–16 to 2023–24 there was a two-tier league: Rangpur, Khulna, Dhaka Division and Dhaka Metropolis were in the first tier in 2015–16, and Rajshahi, Sylhet, Barisal and Chittagong in the second. After each season the bottom team of tier 1 and the top team of tier 2 swapped places for the next season's competition. For the 2024–25 season the league reverted to an eight-team round-robin.
The league is also known under its main sponsor's name. In 2015–16 it was officially the "Walton LED TV 17th National Cricket League". In October 2019 the Walton Group became the title sponsor of NCL for the next three years, and the league would be known officially as the "Walton NCL". In 2024–25 it was the "Modhumoti Bank 26th National Cricket League".

## Teams

| Team | Captain | Home Ground | Participation | Titles |
| Barishal Division | Fazle Mahmud | Barisal Divisional Stadium | since 1999–2000 | 0 |
| Chittagong Division | Shamim Hossain | Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium | since 1999–2000 | 1 |
| Dhaka Division | Saif Hassan | Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium | since 1999–2000 | 7 |
| Dhaka Metropolis | Mohammad Naim | Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium | 2000–01 and since 2011–12 | 0 |
| Khulna Division | Nurul Hasan | Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium | since 1999–2000 | 7 |
| Rajshahi Division | Taijul Islam | Rajshahi Divisional Stadium | since 1999–2000 | 6 |
| Rangpur Division | Akbar Ali | Rangpur Cricket Garden | since 2011–12 | 2 |
| Sylhet Division | Amite Hasan | Sylhet International Cricket Stadium | since 1999–2000 | 1 |

### Defunct teams

| Team | Home ground | Debut | Dissolved |
| Biman Bangladesh Airlines | Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan No 1 Ground | 2000-01 | 2000-01 |

## Winners

Winners of the National Cricket League in each season are:
| Season | Winner |
| 1999–2000 | Chittagong Division (NB: 1999–2000 was not a first-class competition) |
| 2000–01 | Biman Bangladesh Airlines |
| 2001–02 | Dhaka Division |
| 2002–03 | Khulna Division |
| 2003–04 | Dhaka Division |
| 2004–05 | Dhaka Division |
| 2005–06 | Rajshahi Division |
| 2006–07 | Dhaka Division |
| 2007–08 | Khulna Division |
| 2008–09 | Rajshahi Division |
| 2009–10 | Rajshahi Division |
| 2010–11 | Rajshahi Division |
| 2011–12 | Rajshahi Division |
| 2012–13 | Khulna Division |
| 2013–14 | Dhaka Division |
| 2014–15 | Rangpur Division |
| 2015–16 | Khulna Division |
| 2016–17 | Khulna Division |
| 2017–18 | Khulna Division |
| 2018–19 | Rajshahi Division |
| 2019–20 | Khulna Division |
| 2020–21 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021–22 | Dhaka Division |
| 2022–23 | Rangpur Division |
| 2023–24 | Dhaka Division |
| 2024–25 | Sylhet Division |

## Records
### Highest team scores

| Total | For and against | Venue | Season |
| 756/5d | Dhaka Division v. Rajshahi Division | BKSP | 2013–14 |
| 675/9d | Rajshahi Division v. Chittagong Division | Chittagong | 2013–14 |
| 668 | Rajshahi Division v. Dhaka Metropolis | BKSP | 2017–18 |
| 668 | Barisal Division v. Rangpur Division | BKSP | 2014–15 |

### Lowest team scores

| Total | For and against | Venue | Season |
| 46 | Barisal Division v. Khulna Division | Khulna | 2023–24 |
| 48 | Dhaka Metro v. Rangpur Division | Bogra | 2013–14 |
| 54 | Barisal Division v. Chittagong Division | Sylhet | 2023–24 |

### Most runs in an innings

| Total | Batsman | For and against | Venue | Season |
| 295 | Nasir Hossain | Rangpur Division v. Barisal Division | Rajshahi | 2017–18 |
| 282 | Mosaddek Hossain | Barisal Division v. Chittagong Division | BKSP | 2014–15 |
| 259 | Farhad Reza | Rajshahi Division v. Chittagong Division | BKSP | 2013–14 |

### Best bowling in an innings

| Total | Bowler | For and against | Venue | Season |
| 9/84 | Abdur Razzak | Khulna Division v. Chittagong Division | Bogra | 2012–13 |
| 9/91 | Abdur Razzak | Khulna Division v. Dhaka Metropolis | Cox's Bazar | 2013–14 |
| 8/10 | Mahedi Hasan | Khulna Division v. Barisal Division | Khulna | 2023–24 |

## National Cricket League One-Day winners

* 2000–01 – Biman Bangladeshi Airlines (1/1)
* 2001–02 – Sylhet Division (1/1)
* 2002–03 – Khulna Division (1/1)
* 2003–04 – Chittagong Division (1/1)
* 2004–05 – Rajshahi Division (1/3)
* 2005–06 – Rajshahi Division (2/2)
* 2006–07 – Dhaka Division (1/2)
* 2007–08 – Rajshahi Division (3/3)
* 2008–09 – Barisal Division (1/1)
* 2010–11 – Dhaka Division (2/2)
The National Cricket League one-day competition is no longer held. It has been superseded by the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League as Bangladesh's List A competition.

## National Cricket League Twenty20 Winners

* 2010 – Rajshahi Division
* 2024 – Rangpur Division