Sylhet Strikers

Sylhet Strikers () is a professional cricket franchise based in Sylhet, Bangladesh, competing in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The team made its debut in the inaugural 2012 Bangladesh Premier League.

Initially owned by Sylhet Sports Limited under the leadership of former Bangladesh Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, the team’s ownership later passed to his son, Shahed Muhith, who became the chairman. For the sixth edition of the BPL, the franchise appointed former Pakistani cricketer Waqar Younis as head coach, with international cricketer David Warner named as captain. However, Warner was forced to step down due to injury, and former Bangladesh national team all-rounder Alok Kapali took over as captain.

In November 2019, the team was rebranded as Sylhet Thunder after 24Bazar.biz became its sponsor. The team underwent another change in ownership prior to the 2021–22 Bangladesh Premier League. Following the new ownership, the team was rebranded as Sylhet Sunrisers.

In September 2022, ownership was acquired by Future Sports Bangladesh, who renamed the team to Sylhet Strikers.

History

The Sylhet Sixers is a franchise cricket team established in 2017 to compete in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The team is chaired by Shahed Muhit, an architect, social activist, and IT specialist. With a management team boasting extensive experience in sports team operations, the Sixers aim to bridge the gap between cricket stars and passionate fans while engaging youth. The team was conceived by Abul Maal Abdul Muhit, a Member of Parliament in Bangladesh. A diverse management team, including former cricketers, coaches, lawyers, and business entrepreneurs, was formed to establish the Sylhet Sixers. Textile entrepreneurs Mr. Maashed R. Abdullah and Mr. Yasir Obaid have served as the managing director and CEO of the team.

Season overview

2017

In 2017, the Sylhet franchise made its return to the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) under the new Sylhet Sixers banner. The team’s icon player was Sabbir Rahman, and it was captained by all-rounder Nasir Hossain. The Sixers signed wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan and orthodox spinner Taijul Islam as pre-draft acquisitions. Among their foreign signings were Krishmar Santokie, Babar Azam, Liam Plunkett, Andre Fletcher, Upul Tharanga, Ross Whitely, and others.

At the draft, the Sixers' first pick was pacer Abul Hasan, followed by Sri Lankan all-rounder Chaturanga de Silva as their first foreign pick. One of their surprise picks was Pakistani pacer Ghulam Mudassar, who had little experience in professional cricket and had an average of over 40 with the ball, taking just one wicket in the two matches he played.

The Sixers started their campaign strong with four consecutive victories on their home turf. Andre Fletcher and Upul Tharanga were dominant at the top of the batting order, while captain Nasir Hossain and Liam Plunkett provided key performances with the ball. However, a series of injuries throughout the tournament hindered their progress, and they ultimately finished fifth on the points table.

2019

In 2019, the Sixers retained key players like Sabbir Rahman, Nasir Hossain, and Pakistani all-rounder Sohail Tanvir. They also appointed Liton Das as their new icon player, a wicketkeeper and opening batsman for the Bangladesh National Cricket Team. Outside the draft, the team signed Australian batsman David Warner and English opening batsman Jason Roy. Additionally, they acquired Nepali leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane, South African spinner Imran Tahir, Wayne Parnell, and Pakistani all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz.

At the draft, the Sixers strengthened their squad with domestic players like Taskin Ahmed, Al-Amin Hossain, Afif Hossain, and Alok Kapali. They also added international players such as Nicholas Pooran, Mohammad Irfan, Andre Fletcher, and Gulbadin Naib.

2019–20

In September 2019, a conflict of interest arose between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the BPL franchises regarding the player signing process. As a result, the BCB took over the management of the BPL for the 2019–20 season. The tournament was renamed the Bangabandhu BPL T20 2019 in honor of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the occasion of his birth centenary. With BCB now managing the tournament, the Sixers were owned and operated by the board itself.

2022

2023

2024

The Sylhet Strikers kicked off their 2024 campaign with a match against Chattogram Challengers on 19 January but were defeated by 7 wickets in their opening game. Throughout BPL 24, the Strikers played 10 matches, winning 3 and losing 7.

Overseas players included Kennar Lewis, Samit Patel, Harry Tector, Benny Howell, and Ryan Burl.

2025

The 2025 season proved to be underwhelming for the Sylhet franchise. They made an early exit from the tournament, finishing at the bottom of the table. The Strikers were able to recruit local talents like Jaker Ali, Rony Talukder, and Zakir Hasan, and retained Tanzim Hasan Sakib before the draft. Ariful Haque was appointed the team's captain.

Notable foreign signings included Rahkeem Cornwall, George Munsey, Paul Stirling, Reece Topley, and Aaron Jones.

Squad

Seasons

Bangladesh Premier League

References

{{Sylhet Sixers squad

Sport in Sylhet
Cricket clubs established in 2015
Sports clubs and teams in Bangladesh
Bangladesh Premier League teams
Cricket in Sylhet
2015 establishments in Bangladesh
Organisations based in Sylhet