The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has confirmed the salary structure for the inaugural Women’s Bangladesh Premier League (WBPL), marking a significant step in the professional growth of women’s cricket in the country. The three-team T20 tournament is scheduled to be held from April 3 to April 15, 2026, with the player draft set for March 14. The announcement provides clarity on how local and overseas players will be compensated in the first edition of the competition.
At the top of the pay scale are the Icon players, with each franchise allowed to sign one cricketer in this category. Players selected as Icons will receive Tk 10 lakh for the tournament, the highest individual salary bracket in the league. Bangladesh national team captain Nigar Sultana has already been confirmed as one of the Icon players. Vice-captain Nahida Akter and batter Sobhana Mostary are among the leading contenders for the remaining Icon spots, reflecting their importance in the national setup and their standing in domestic cricket. Each franchise can draft one icon player in their team.
Below the Icon category, the BCB has introduced several graded tiers for local players. Six cricketers will be placed in Category A, each earning Tk 7 lakh, and franchises must pick two players from this group during the draft. Category B will include 12 players who will earn Tk 5 lakh each. This structure ensures that established performers and regular national team members are rewarded while still maintaining competitive balance across the three squads.
A larger pool of approximately 20 players will feature in Category C, with a salary of Tk 3 lakh. Players who are not selected from Category C will move into Category D, where they will earn Tk 1.5 lakh. The tiered system is designed to give financial opportunities to a broad base of domestic cricketers, including emerging players who may not yet have consistent national exposure but have shown promise in domestic competitions.
The league will also feature overseas players, with franchises permitted to directly sign foreign cricketers before the draft or select them through the draft process. International players have been divided into three salary brackets. Category A overseas players will receive $8,000, Category B players will earn $6,000, and Category C players will be paid $3,000 for the tournament. Each franchise must include at least four overseas players in its squad and will be required to field exactly two foreign cricketers in the playing XI for every match.
In terms of ownership, the BCB has set the franchise fee at Tk 30 lakh for the three-team competition. The Nabil Group, owners of the men’s Bangladesh Premier League champions Rajshahi Warriors, have expressed interest in acquiring a franchise in the women’s tournament. The involvement of established corporate groups is expected to strengthen the league’s commercial foundation.
Matches in the inaugural season are expected to be staged at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur and the Bir Shreshtha Matiur Rahman Stadium in Chattogram, two of the country’s leading cricket venues. Hosting the tournament at these grounds underlines the board’s intention to give the women’s league strong visibility and a professional platform.
With the salary framework now finalised, focus will shift to the draft and team preparations. The introduction of the WBPL represents an important milestone for Bangladesh women’s cricket, offering structured earnings, competitive exposure and a new stage for the country’s leading and emerging players to showcase their talent.
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