Online Desk: The new season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is just around the corner, and the teams have already started gearing up for the biggest domestic cricketing event, commencing on January 19 in Dhaka.

A total of seven teams are participating in this year’s BPL. There was speculation of increasing the number of the teams, but that did not materialize.

While the shadow of past mismanagement allegations lingers, a beacon of hope shines – the BPL will have the Decision Review System (DRS) from the get-go, promising fairer on-field battles.

Durdanto Dhaka, a newcomer to the event, started their preparation on Sunday. Khaled Mahmud, their head coach, conducted the first practice session. Comilla Victorians, the BPL giants, also held their practice session on Sunday.

“Our main goal is to secure a place in the last four,” Khaled Mahmud said. “And to win the title, you will also need the favor of your luck.”

He also said that his team doesn’t have the big stars this time, but he is taking it as a big challenge. “It’s anybody’s game,” he said. “Taskin (Ahmed), and Shoriful (Islam) are in our team. If they can perform well, we can challenge any team.”

To accommodate all participants, BPL teams are practicing at different venues this year, as the BCB academy ground alone wouldn’t suffice. BKSP, a ground more than one and a half hours drive away, is also a venue for practice for a team.

BPL will kick off in Dhaka, then it will travel to Sylhet before coming back to Dhaka and then traveling to Chattogram. The final phase will be played in Dhaka again.

In the league phase, every team will take on each other in two matches. After that, the top two teams will take on each other in the first Qualifier match. Winners will advance to the final, and the loser will take on the winner of the Eliminator, which will be played between the top third and fourth teams, in the Qualifier 2. The final of this year’s BPL will take place on March 1 in Dhaka’s Mirpur.