The Beginning

Cricket was introduced by Britishers in undivided India. Organized Cricket was first played in Calcutta (Kolkata) in Bengal. As the Britishers first established themselves in Kolkata and made it their capital, they introduced many things for their convenience. In 1780, The Calcutta Cricket Club was established. The Calcutta Cricket Club is 7 years older than the famous Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) of England.

In 1792, Barrackpore and Dum Dum, now part of Kolkata was the hub of organized cricket. The “maidan” opposite the Raj Bhavan was the venue for these matches. Interestingly, the year 1792 is officially recognized by Wisden cricket almanac as the establishment date of the Calcutta Cricket Club, making it the oldest surviving cricket club outside the British Isles.

In 1926, an unofficial Test cricket match was played at Eden Gardens in Calcutta when the MCC team, led by Arthur Gilligan, toured India. At the time, India was not an official Test-playing nation, but the Bengal Gymkhana and the Calcutta Cricket Club were instrumental in inviting and hosting MCC.

In 1934, the Ranji Trophy, India’s premier domestic cricket competition, commenced. The first Bengal team took part in the second Ranji Trophy in 1935.

Cricket in Bangladesh After Partition

After the partition of Bengal in 1947, domestic cricket in the newly formed Pakistan was conducted in four leagues. East Pakistani teams took part in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy from 1954 to 1968.

The 1950s and 1960s, seven international Test matches took place in Dhaka with Pakistan as the host team. The first Test was played between Pakistan and India in January 1955 at the Dhaka Stadium. The match ended in a draw. Fazal Mahmood’s brilliant performance helped Pakistan in securing their only Test win in Dhaka in 1959 against the West Indies.

Cricket in Bangladesh After Independence

The Bangladesh Cricket Control Board (BCCB) was established in 1972, shortly after Bangladesh gained independence. Domestic cricket leagues began in Dhaka and Chittagong, though cricket faced challenges due to other priorities in the war-torn country.

In 1975, BCCB sought ICC membership for Bangladesh, and in 1977, Bangladesh became an Associate member. The MCC’s visits to Bangladesh in 1976 and 1978 helped build enthusiasm for cricket in the country.

Major Milestones for Bangladesh Cricket

• In 1983, Bangladesh played its first-ever one-day international match during the Second Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, though it was still not a full ICC member.
• Bangladesh started participating in various tournaments, including ICC Trophies, Asia Cups, and South-East Asia Cups. 
• In 1997, Bangladesh won the ICC Trophy in Malaysia, earning the right to play one-day internationals and becoming a regular ICC member.
• Bangladesh participated first time in world-cup in 1999
• In 2000, a significant milestone was achieved when Bangladesh attained Test status. Their inaugural Test match took place in Dhaka against India in November 2000.
• Bangladesh secured its 100th ODI victory, defeating India by 15 runs in Dhaka in 2004.
• In 2004 Bangladesh recorded its first Test victory, defeating Zimbabwe by 226 runs.
• Bangladesh qualified for super eight stage in 2007 world-cup.
• Bangladesh reached in semifinals of ICC Champions Trophy.

Bangladesh Cricket has seen many ups and downs, but Bangladesh cricket is growing steadily.

Cricket is very famous in Bangladesh, and players get tremendous support. Bangladesh has produced many talented cricket players and producing more. Bangladesh cricket is evolving and creating new milestones every year.

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