Abahani Limited

The Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League has been an integral part of the legacy of the first domestic and later International Cricket in Bangladesh. The league kicked off about 30 years back in 1973. The tournament is like a torch bearer in the history of cricket in the country. It is a List A tournament played in a round-robin format, featuring twelve teams from different parts of Bangladesh as of the latest season. All the matches of the tournament were played in three grounds Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah, Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan No 3 and No 4 Grounds in Savar and Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.

In the 2022-23 season, Abahani Limited is one of the 12 teams apart from Agrani Bank Cricket Club, Brother's Union, City Club, Dhaka Leopards, Gazi Group Cricketers, Legends of Rupganj, Mohammedan Sporting Club, Prime Bank Cricket Club, Rupganj Tigers Cricket Club, Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and last but not the least the Shinepukur Cricket Club. 12 participating teams keep changing in almost every season with promotion and relegation according to the rules of the tournament. The two teams that finish at the bottom of the points table are demoted to the second division which is popularly known as the Dhaka First Division League for the next season and on the other hand, the top two teams in the second division are promoted to play the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League for the following season.

The league, though started in 1973, gained the status of List A 10 years ago in 2013. From then onwards, Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League is one of the top-notch domestic tournaments in the country. To commemorate the one hundredth birth anniversary of the father of Bangladesh namely Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the 2019–20 season of the league was named "Bangabandhu Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League 2019–20 to pay respect to him through the game. But unfortunately, the competition was postponed shortly after it started and was later abandoned as the COVID-19 pandemic cropped up shortly after. The next season of the tournament held in 2021–22, was officially named the Bangabandhu Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League 2021–2022 which was also eventually cancelled due to the same reason.

The team has participated in the league right from the beginning in 1973. The Abahani Limited has not only taken part but is also the record holder for the most successful team in the history of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, winning the title 17 times before 2013 and 4 times after the tournament gained the List A status in 2013. The team consists of a combination of native Bangladeshi players, apart from that the team also features overseas players mostly from India and Sri Lanka. The Abahani Limited squad for the latest season of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League comprises Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Jahid Javed, Wasim Jaffer, Munim Shahriar, Abdullah Al Mamun Rasel, Abdullah Al Mamun Raju, Kaushal Silva, Priyank Kirit Panchal, Mosaddek Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Soumya Sarkar, Taposh Ghosh, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Jahurul Islam, Mohammad Mithun, Shakil Hossain, Nazmul Islam, Sunzamul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Mashrafe Mortaza, Ariful Hasan, and last but not the least Zakaria Islam.

Abahani Limited Team Owner

The most successful team in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, Abahani Limited is organized and owned by Abahani Limited Dhaka itself. The Iqbal Sporting Club was reorganized and was founded as Abahani Krira Chakra in 1972 by Sheikh Kamal, the eldest son of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The team is regarded as one of the league’s most renowned and well-supported teams in the domestic scenario. It is for sure that the company will keep supporting the team in the upcoming seasons as they did in the previous ones.

Abahani Limited's Brand Value

The team is the most successful one in the league and has played all the seasons of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League from the birth of the league to the most recent one. The team's brand value could not be traced on the web but it is only predicted to witness a sharp and steady rise in the next few years relying on the terrific performances of the team members.

Performance of the Abahani Limited over the Years

The following table shows the summary of the performances of the Abahani Limited as a team starting from the 2013-14 season when the tournament gained the status of List A to the latest season in 2023.

Year	Performance
2013-14	9th
2014-15	4th
2016	Champions
2017	3rd
2017-18	Champions
2018-19	Champions
2019-20	Postponed
2021	Abandoned
2022	4th
2023	Champions
2023-24	Yet to be determined

2013-14 season of the DPDCL

The first season of the DPDCL after being listed as a List A tournament was a pretty average one as they finished in the ninth position on the points table. This season, they managed to win only 5 matches out of the 11 matches they played and lost 6 of the matches. Their win percentage this season was 45.45% and their loss percentage was 54.54%. They could not finish the season on a high but they will look to change the results in the following seasons of the league.

2014-15 season of the DPDCL

In the second season, Abahani Limited played 16 matches and managed to win 10 matches and lost the rest 6 matches. They finished the league in third position on the points table with 20 points. They started the season with two wins against Mohammedan Sporting Club and Prime DSC by 5 and 8 wickets respectively. Then they lost two matches against Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and Legends of Rupganj by 6 runs and 3 wickets respectively. Then they registered a win against the PSC by 6 wickets, followed by another win against the Kalabagan KC by 6 wickets, Old DOHS by a big margin of 166 runs, against Victoria SC by 8 wickets, against Brother's Union Union by 69 runs, against Kalabagan CA by 7 wickets, against Prime Bank by 33 runs.

With this match, they came to the end of the group stage owing to their position on the points table and advanced to the super league. They won their first match in the Super League against the Mohammedan Sporting Club by 3 wickets. Then, unfortunately, they tasted four consecutive losses against Prime Bank, Kalabagan CA, and Prime Bank by 76 runs, 5 wickets, 1 run, and 9 runs respectively. They started well this season but their momentum was staggered as they lost consecutively in the Super League. They will look to go into the next season with an aspiration to perform better.

The 2016 season of the DPDCL

The 2016 season was the year that they got their hands on the championship trophy for the first time in the history of the team. Though they did not get a good start to the season, they managed to gain enough momentum in the course of the tournament. They played their first match of the season against Kalabagan KC and registered a win by 7 wickets. In their second match, they faced Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and were unfortunately defeated by 4 wickets. They won their next two matches against Brother's Union Union and Victoria SC by 2 wickets and 9 runs respectively. Then they faced three consecutive losses against Legends of Rupganj, Mohammedan Sporting Club, and Kalabagan CA in their next matches.

Then they won against Gazi Group, Prime DSC, Prime Bank, and Cricket CS by healthy margins. This got their momentum going with these consecutive victories. Their next match was the first match of the Super League and was all set to take place against the Prime DSC but the match was abandoned due to rain and yielded no results. They played four more matches in the super league and ended up with wins in all four of them. They eventually went on to win the championship trophy this season. This win skyrocketed their confidence and gave them a boost in self-esteem to go into the next season.

The 2017 season of the DPDCL

In this season The Abahani Limited entered the tournament as crowd favorites. The defending champions were on a mission to defend their championship title but unfortunately, they could not manage to win the championship title for the second time. In this season they played their first match against Khelaghar and won by 5 wickets. They extended their winning streak to three matches by winning against PSC and Brothers. They lost their next two matches against Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and Gazi Group respectively. They came back strongly with 5 back to back wins against Kalabagan KC, Prime Bank, Mohammedan, Victoria SC, and Legends of Rupganj. They lost their following match against Prime DSC by 4 wickets. They returned to the winning side with three wins against Prime Bank, Mohammedan Sporting Club, and Prime DSC respectively. In their last two super league matches they registered a win and a loss against Gazi Group and Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club respectively. They ended the season in third position on the points table.

2017-18 season of the DPDCL

The Abahani Limited entered the 2017-18 season with a lot of improvement in their already good skills. They exerted their dominance on the other teams right from the beginning of the tournament as they started with 6 wins in 6 matches against Khelaghar, Kalabagan KC, Brothers, Legends of Rupganj, Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, and Mohammedan Sporting Club respectively. This proved their class and position in the league. Then they accepted defeat against the Prime Bank by only 9 runs. They won their next match against the Agrani Bank Cricket Club Bank Cricket Club by 11 runs.

They again lost 2 consecutive matches against Prime DSC and Gazi Group respectively by 3 runs and 8 wickets. They won the next two of their matches against Shinepukur and Gazi Group by 56 and 73 runs respectively. Then they lost to Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club by 26 runs in their next match. Their final three matches of the league were against Prime DSC, Khelaghar, and Legends of Rupganj, and they ended up winning all three of them. This season they not only won the tournament but also people's hearts with their breathing performances throughout the season.

2018-19 season of the DPDCL

In the 2018-19 season, the Abahani Limited aced with their awesome performance in almost all the matches throughout the season and also did an incredible job in defending the championship title themselves this year. They registered 13 wins and only 3 losses from the 16 matches that they played in the entire season, thus securing 26 points and finishing the season right at the topmost position on the points table. Their net run rate this season was 0.866. This was one of the most flourishing seasons they had played so far as they emerged as the most successful team. This season they became the only team to win the championship title for the third time. They started off the season with consecutive wins in 4 matches against BKSP, Uttara Sport, Brother's Union Union, and Shinepukur.

Their winning string was broken in their fifth match as they were defeated by Prime Bank by 16 runs. They again came back to the winning side once again as they won the next four matches against Mohammedan, Gazi Group, Khelaghar, and Prime DSC by 6 wickets, 29 runs, 132 runs, and 4 wickets respectively. Their winning streak was hindered again as they lost back-to-back two matches against Legends of Rupganj and Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club by 6 wickets and 3 wickets respectively. They made a strong comeback in the next four matches against Prime DSC, Mohammedan, Prime Bank, Legends of Rupganj, and Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club respectively by 165 runs, 45 runs, 9 wickets, 102 runs,s and 6 wickets. Eventually, they went on to win their third title this season.

2019-20 season of the DPDCL

The 2019-20 season was first postponed and later abandoned due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Owing to the messed up situation, they only got a chance to play a single match before the season was postponed. They won the only match they played against the PSC by 81 runs on the 15th of Mar15th20. The following matches were then suspended to secure the safety of the players and the audience who come to visit the games in the stadium.

The 2021 season of the DPDCL

Same as the 2019-20 season this time as well the tournament was cancelled without a single match being played. The lockdown prevailed this year as well, as the government of India extended it. owing to the prevailing COVID-19 condition, which reached its peak during. This was to ensure the safety and good health of the players and the audience who come to watch the game in the stadium the season was cancelled

The 2022 season of the DPDCL

In the 2022 season, Abahani Limited played 5 matches and gathered 4 points by winning 2 matches and losing the remaining 3 of them. They recorded a negative run rate of 0.184 in the entire season. In this season they played their first match against Tigers and ended up losing it by 7 wickets. They won their second match against the City Club by a big margin of 111 runs. In their third match, they were defeated by Legends of Rupganj. They won their next four matches; they registered consecutive wins against Khelaghar, Shinepukur, Brothers, and Mohammedan Sporting Club by 20 runs, 34 runs, and the last two of them by 6 wickets respectively.

Clearly, their winning streak was hindered by a loss by a margin of 5 wickets against Sheikh Jamal. They came on the winning side in consecutive matches by 1 and 28 runs against Gazi Group and Prime Bank respectively. Then they again lost two games against Prime Bank and Gazi Group. They won their next match by 81 runs against Legends of Rupganj. They lost their second last match against Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club by 4 wickets. They played their last match of the season against the Tigers by a respectable margin of 63 runs. They ended the season in the fourth position. They will look to end the next season and improve the results.

The 2023 season of the DPDCL

The recently concluded 2023 season was one of the best seasons of all time for Abahani Limited as a team in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League as they emerged as the 4th time winners in the leaguThishis season, they won 14 out of the 16 matches and lost only two of them. They kicked off the season with 8 wins, against Brothers, Shinepukur, Mohammedan, Gazi Group, Tigers, Leopards, Prime Bank, and Legends of Rupganj. But their winning streak was hindered as they were defeated by Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club by 4 wickets. Despite the defeat, they came back even stronger in the next matches and registered back-to-back wins against Agrani Bank Cricket Club and City Club.

With this, they came to an end of the league stage. Then they advanced to the Super League. Their first match in the Super League was against Mohammedan, Prime Bank, and Legends of Rupganj. In their next match of the Super League, their winning streak was again broken by the Gazi Group as they lost the match by 4 wickets. Their last league stage match was again a win for the Abahani Limited against Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club by 6 wickets in the super league. W, with this the super league comes to an end with Abahani Limited finishing in the top spot with 28 points from 16 matches. Thus, winning the tournament. This gave them a boost in confidence and self-esteem to go into the next season as the defending Champions.

2023-24 season of the DPDCL

The 2023-24 season of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League is yet to be played and the results are yet to be determined. The Abahani Limited will go into the tournament's second season with a huge boost in confidence. The defending champions will enter the next season as fan favourites. Their supporters will continue supporting their idols and perhaps also wish their favourite players will bring the championship trophy home once again for the fifth time. The players will also try to give their best performances as they did in the previous seasons. The 2023 winners were an incredible team and gave an all-around performance in the entire season, it is no exaggeration to say that their all-around performance left a lot of people in awe. It is for sure that the third season will be packed with surprises and amazement for the Abahani Limited supporters.

Stats of Abahani Limited Players

The Abahani Limited has always been the most successful team in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League even before it gained the status of List A matches. The players have given the best of the best performances for the team in every season of the tournament, relying on which the team was able to lift the championship trophy four 4 times since the 2013 season. The following subheadings highlight the list of the top five run scorers and the top wicket-takers for Abahani Limited in the latest season, which is the 2022-23 season of the league.

Top run scorers for Abahani Limited

The following table is a list of the top five run scorers for the Abahani Limited team in the most recently concluded 2023 season of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League. The table enlists the number of matches played, runs scored, average per match, and their respective strike rate.

Mohammad Naim seals the number one spot on the leaderboard of top five runs scorers for Abahani Limited with 932 runs from 16 matches he was a part of. Naim is also the top run-scorer in the entire 2023 season of the tournament. He has an average of 71.69 per game and an amazing strike rate of 91.64.

Name of the Player	Matches Played	Runs Scored	Average	Strike Rate
Mohammad Naim	16	932	71.69	91.64
Anamul Haque	16	834	59.57	97.31
Afif Hossain	15	550	55.00	110.66
Mosaddek Hossain	16	395	32.91	89.97
Jaker Ali	13	287	35.87	72.58

Top wicket-takers for Abahani Limited

The following table is a list of the top five run scorers for the Abahani Limited team in the most recently concluded 2023 season of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League. The table enlists the number of matches played, wickets taken, bowling average per match, and their respective economy.

Tanvir Islam tops the list of top five wicket-takers for Abahani Limited in the 2023 season of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League. He is in the number one spot with 24 wickets from 16 matches he was a part of recording a bowling average of 24.83 per match and has an amazing economy of 4.66.

Name of the Player	Matches Played	Wickets Taken	Average	Economy
Tanvir Islam	15	24	24.83	4.66
Mohammad Saifuddin	12	19	21.84	5.18
Tanzim Hasan Sakib	15	17	33.47	5.11
Rakibul Hasan	10	12	32.15	4.75
R Mondol	7	11	22.26	6.12

The team is one of the many domestic cricket teams in Bangladesh that have existed from the beginning of the history of cricket in the country. The team has been a witness to the rise and peak of cricket in Bangladesh and travelled through good and bad times to gain the feat they deserve and establish itself as the most successful team in the league.