u/Osiris_34

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Despite the new caps, helmets, and plenty of media attention, the opening round of the NCL felt rather underwhelming. A major reason was the absence of around 25–30 frontline players from the national team's red-ball and white-ball setups. On top of that, most of the promising pace bowlers in the pipeline are injured. The result? Three draws out of four matches, with the remaining game finishing inside two days. Batters and pace-bowling all-rounders had the upper hand throughout the opening round.

Note: I know this is late I was meant to post this couple of days ago. But anyways here's my take on NCL's first round games

Sylhet vs Mymensingh (Result: Draw):

NCL's opening fixtures have largely failed to deliver in terms of results. This game was no different, with both sides getting plenty of opportunities to pile on the runs but neither managing to build enough pressure to force a result. There were some individual performances worth appreciating, though, alongside a few concerns, particularly regarding Sylhet's bowling depth.

Among the key performers in this match were Mymensingh opener Robin (70 and 100), debutant left-arm spinner Azizul Hakim Rony, and Sylhet's pace-bowling all-rounder Tofayel Ahmed and fellow left-arm spinner Naim Ahmed. Abdul Mazid, Abu Hider Rony, and Ariful Islam scored half-centuries for Mymensingh, while Zakir Hasan and Asadullah Galib did the same for Sylhet. However, it was a disappointing start for Amite Hasan.

Robin's numbers look impressive, but there's a catch: Sylhet were missing both their first- and second-choice bowling options. Tofayel Ahmed was arguably their best available pace bowler, although his batting was even more impressive than his bowling.

And despite all the media hype surrounding Anik Deb Barman, he looks like a pretty ordinary bowler to me. If Sylhet have to rely on this bowling attack for more than a couple of rounds, they could find themselves out of the title race rather quickly. Even without Khaled Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain, they desperately need Iqbal Hossain Emon, Tanzim Sakib, and Raja in the squad.

Mymensingh, on the other hand, didn't have too many notable absentees. Mosaddek joining the side would certainly add some strength, though. Also, Maruf Mridha would probably be better off playing for Mymensingh rather than being kept in Dhaka's second XI.

Rangpur vs Dhaka (Result: Draw):

Despite ending in a draw, this was arguably the most exciting game of the round. Dhaka could've snatched a win on the final day if not for Akbar's heroics and the rain delay.

The standout performer was Rangpur's young pace-bowling all-rounder Chowdhury Md. Rizwan, who scored 75 in the first innings and stitched together a crucial partnership with Akbar. Dhaka's left-arm spinner Arif Ahmed was another major performer, picking up seven wickets across two innings. Taibur Rahman scored a century in the first innings, while, surprisingly, Sumon Khan chipped in with an impressive 94. Anamul Haque was decent with the ball, taking four wickets across the two innings. Anik Sarkar Setu, Mim Mossadek, and Akbar also scored half-centuries, while Shadhin Islam had a decent outing on his first-class debut.

However, much like Sylhet, Rangpur struggled without their first- and even second-choice pacers due to injuries and national team commitments. Rangpur are a side that rely heavily on their bowling attack, particularly their pace department, to win matches. That's exactly how they won last season's NCL title despite having a rather mediocre batting lineup.

And man, I really miss watching those pacers, especially Mugdho. He was such a joy to watch last season. I genuinely thought he'd be playing for the national team by now, but unfortunately, injuries have been taking a toll on his career. Really hoping to see the Robiul-Mugdho-Mushfik trio back in the NCL very soon. Just thinking about that pace attack gets me excited.

Honestly, I don't think any other NCL team can come close to Rangpur's current bowling lineup when all their key bowlers are fit and available.

Khulna vs Barisal (Result: Khulna won by an innings and 135 runs):

Despite being the only game of the round to produce a result, this was easily the most lacklustre and one-sided fixture. Barisal got absolutely hammered, and there's honestly not much more to say about it.

Barisal weren't even missing any key players, with Fazle Mahmud Rabbi being perhaps the only notable absentee. Although, let's be honest, he's well past his best at this point. Newly appointed captain Ifti had a decent outing in the first innings but fell cheaply in the second, effectively sealing Barisal's innings defeat.

The only real positives for Barisal were young Hafizur Rahman, who scored an impressive 91 in the second innings, and, as always, Ruyel Miah, who was excellent with the ball, picking up a five-wicket haul in the first innings. If Yeasin Arafat Meshu returns to the side, Barisal could potentially have a decent bowling duo on their hands. Ruyel, meanwhile, deserves a shot in the next A-team or HP four-day series.

For Khulna, Kalam Siddiki Aleen and Mithun Ali were the standout performers with the bat, scoring 92 and 89 respectively, although both missed out on converting their starts into centuries. Sofor Ali and Parvez Hossain Jibon were exceptional with the ball, picking up six wickets each across the two innings. The rest of the Khulna squad also chipped in across both departments, making this a thoroughly dominant team performance. I wish Sofor Ali and Ruyel Miah were playing for Sylhet.

Khulna look like serious title contenders this year, especially with several other teams missing a significant number of their frontline players.

One thing I'd genuinely love to see, though, is Mustafizur Rahman playing for Khulna in the NCL. I don't even care whether he plays Test cricket again or not; I think a couple of first-class matches could actually help him regain his rhythm. And let's be real, having the Fizz in the NCL would bring a lot more eyeballs to the tournament as well.

Rajshahi vs Chattogram (Result: Draw):

Another draw in the opening round, but this one had a few interesting talking points despite neither side managing to force a result.

For Chattogram, Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Siddikur Rahman were the standout performers with the bat, scoring centuries in the first innings. However, both performances should be taken with a pinch of salt, considering they came against arguably the weakest bowling attack in the NCL on an absolute road of a pitch. The same goes for Rajshahi's batters, who also enjoyed themselves in the first innings. But once the pitch started offering a little assistance to the spinners in the third innings, most of the batters fell out cheaply.

Still, credit where it's due. Joy and Siddikur made the most of the conditions, and their centuries helped Chattogram take a first-innings lead. Rajshahi had their moments with the bat as well, with Habibur Rahman Sohan and Sabbir Hossain among those making notable contributions. Hasan Murad was one of the more effective bowlers in the game, picking up 7 wickets across both innings.

Chattogram have plenty to look forward to, though. Yasir Rabbi and Parvez Emon are expected to join the side soon, which should give their batting lineup a significant boost. And if they can somehow get Al Fahad into the squad as well, their pace-bowling department could be sorted. There's definitely potential in this Chattogram side, provided they can get their key players available.

I'm not nearly as optimistic about Rajshahi, though. Their two star players, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Rana, aren't gonna be available anytime soon and probably will miss the entire season. Abdur Rahim might be an option once he's fit, but the fact that I'm having to look towards a 17-year-old for solutions tells you everything about the current state of Rajshahi's bowling attack.

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For the past few days, journalists have been making a big deal about this tournament. Seeing all the hype, I initially thought BCB was finally going to organize a quality tournament for Test and ODI cricket, with foreign players involved as well.

I was somewhat disappointed when the NCL T20 was canceled because it gave 100+ players the opportunity to play T20 cricket across 8 teams. Still, I was looking forward to this new tournament because Bangladesh really needs a good-quality domestic tournament for Test and ODI cricket, especially with foreign players, considering that foreign players are no longer allowed in the Dhaka Premier League.

But after looking into the actual details, there seems to be nothing positive about it. There will be no foreign players or anything particularly new. It is basically the old BCL with a different name. At this point, it feels like BCB directors are just going to use it as another business opportunity, and that's about it.

And with more teams, the quality could actually be even lower.

This tournament is basically nothing more than a glorified version of the BCL. They should have allowed 1–2 foreign players in each team, especially for the Test and ODI formats. Our players barely get the opportunity to compete against foreign players in these formats, play alongside them, and prove themselves against higher-quality opposition.

In T20 cricket, players at least had some opportunities through the BPL and previously through the DPL, where they could play alongside and against foreign players. That's one of the reasons why the DPL used to produce quite a few good players.

If there aren't going to be any foreign players, then what's the point of all this drama and hype?

We already had the BCL for Test and ODI cricket, and the NCL T20 was a good platform for T20 cricket. Now, things might actually get worse. Previously, the NCL T20 had 8 teams, giving 100+ players the opportunity to play T20 cricket. Now, with only 6 teams, that number will apparently drop to around 70 players.

So unless foreign players are allowed, I don't really see how this benefits Bangladeshi cricket. It could actually hurt the domestic system by reducing opportunities for players to play T20 cricket.