At long last, the people of Noakhali may finally see their long-held dream come true. The much-talked-about district of Bangladesh is likely to make its debut in the upcoming season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Never before has Noakhali been represented in the tournament, but that may soon change with the arrival of a new team — Noakhali Royals.
Cricket fans from the greater Noakhali region have long demanded a BPL franchise representing them, often voicing their hopes on social media. Now, it seems their wait may finally be over.
A new franchise under the name Noakhali Royals has submitted an application to join the upcoming BPL. The ownership is set to be under a company called Shayan’s Global. On Monday (June 30), representatives of the company submitted the official application to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), requesting participation in the 11th edition of the BPL in compliance with all necessary procedures.
Badal, a representative of Shayan’s Global, told the media:
“There is a board meeting scheduled. In that meeting, a decision will be made on whether a new franchise will be taken in and, if so, what documents will be required. They will inform us.”
Speaking about their own preparations, he added:
“From our end, we’re fairly well-prepared. We’ve already arranged the necessary documents. We’re hopeful they’ll accept our application and help fulfill the dreams of the people of Noakhali.”
Earlier, on June 24, in a letter addressed to the BCB president, Shayan’s Global expressed its interest not only in owning a BPL team but also in contributing to the development of cricket in the Noakhali region.
