The 11th edition of Bangladesh’s National School Cricket Tournament, sponsored by Prime Bank PLC, is scheduled to get underway on Friday, 10 April, further strengthening the country’s long-term commitment to grassroots cricket development.
This year’s competition is set to be one of the largest in its history, with participation expected from more than 350 schools representing all 64 districts of Bangladesh. Over 8,500 young cricketers will take part across 651 scheduled matches, reflecting the growing depth and popularity of the tournament at school level.
The competition will begin with district-stage fixtures, providing widespread local participation before progressing to divisional rounds. Successful teams from these stages will advance to the national phase, where the country’s most promising school-level cricketers will compete for top honours. The tiered format has been designed to ensure inclusivity while maintaining a competitive structure that allows talent to emerge systematically.
A formal jersey unveiling ceremony was held on Thursday, 9 April, at the media centre of the Bangladesh Cricket Board. The event brought together senior officials from both the sponsor and the cricketing authority, alongside prominent national cricket figures.
Representing Prime Bank PLC were Additional Managing Director Md Nazim A. Chowdhury and Senior Assistant Vice President and Head of Brand & Communications Syed Raihan Tarik. From the Bangladesh Cricket Board, former national captain and chief selector Habibul Bashar, Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, and national team batter Towhid Hridoy attended the ceremony.
Since its inception in 2015, the tournament has grown into one of Bangladesh’s most extensive school-level sporting initiatives. To date, 3,507 schools have participated, producing 6,195 matches and engaging 76,235 young players across the country. The event has established itself as a crucial feeder system for domestic cricket, offering structured exposure to competitive environments at an early stage.
A key feature of the programme remains its scholarship initiative, which supports outstanding performers each season. Traditionally, 15 players were selected annually for educational and cricket development scholarships on the recommendation of age-group selectors. This year, however, the number has been increased to 25 recipients, reflecting an expanded commitment to youth development. In addition, the annual scholarship award has been doubled from BDT 60,000 to BDT 120,000 per player.
Tournament Overview
| Category |
Details |
| Participating districts |
64 |
| Participating schools (this year) |
350+ |
| Total players (this year) |
8,500+ |
| Scheduled matches (this year) |
651 |
| Total schools since 2015 |
3,507 |
| Total matches since 2015 |
6,195 |
| Total players since 2015 |
76,235 |
| Scholarship recipients (previous) |
15 players |
| Scholarship recipients (current) |
25 players |
| Scholarship amount (previous) |
BDT 60,000 |
| Scholarship amount (current) |
BDT 120,000 |
With its expanding reach and increasingly structured development pathway, the National School Cricket Tournament continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Bangladeshi cricket, bridging school-level participation with the professional game.
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