BPL without schedule changes? That’s almost unheard of!
In the past, nearly every season of the BPL has seen changes to match timings by the BCB, often due to reasons like fog or other unforeseen circumstances. However, those announcements usually came after the tournament had already started. This time, though, the schedule had to be revised even before a single ball was bowled.
On the opening day of the 11th season of the BPL, both matches will begin as scheduled. But on Tuesday, the final day of the year, the start times for two matches have been moved forward by 1.5 hours.
At the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur, the match between Khulna Tigers and Chittagong Kings will now begin at 12 PM instead of 1:30 PM. The Rangpur Riders vs. Sylhet Strikers match has also been rescheduled to 5 PM, instead of the original start time of 6:30 PM.
In a press release on Sunday night, the BCB announced that the changes were made following directives from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) regarding traffic management in the capital on the last day of the year.
The board also mentioned that due to the year-end holiday on December 31, tickets for the matches will not be available at the designated Madhumati Bank branches. Instead, fans can purchase tickets from the ticket booth at the National Swimming Complex near the Sher-e-Bangla Indoor Stadium in Mirpur.
It’s likely that the schedule adjustment was made to avoid traffic congestion in the capital on such a busy day. Additionally, there are usually traffic restrictions in place for Thirty-First Night celebrations, further complicating movement in the city.