Bangladesh Cricket Board launches D3 all-format franchise tournament

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced the launch of ‘Domestic 3’ (D3), a new six-team franchise competition set to debut during the 2026–27 domestic season. The tournament is designed to integrate First-Class, List-A, and T20 cricket into a single structure, a model not previously implemented by other major cricketing nations.

The competition will feature six franchises that have signed three-year agreements with the BCB. Reported owners include Walton, Acme Laboratories, ACE Blue Star, Citizens Bank, Seven Rings Cement, and Fortune Group, with each reportedly paying approximately BDT 25 million per season.

Six icon players have been designated for the inaugural season: Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Walton), Towhid Hridoy (Fortune Group), Mosaddek Hossain (Acme Laboratories), Mushfiqur Rahim (Seven Rings Cement), Nurul Hasan (ACE Blue Star), and Mohammad Naim (Citizens Bank).

The tournament schedule is expected to begin with the T20 leg in late 2026, followed by the First-Class phase in January and the One-Day competition in May. BCB President Tamim Iqbal stated the initiative aims to provide a fresh boost to the nation's domestic cricket structure.