Match overview
Chattogram Royals beat Noakhali Express by 5 wickets in the Bangladesh Premier League on 16 January 2026 at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka. Noakhali Express were bowled out for 126, a total that fell well short of the ground's average first-innings score of 179. Shoriful Islam was the decisive bowler and collected the Player of the Match award. Chattogram Royals, despite losing 4 wickets inside the powerplay, rebuilt effectively in the middle overs and completed the chase with little drama.
The Royals won the toss and chose to field, a familiar call at this ground where 59 per cent of toss winners opt to chase. It proved the correct decision. Noakhali's batting showed promise early but their death overs unravelled: 20 runs and 4 wickets lost across that phase left them 53 runs below the venue average and reliant on the bowlers to defend what they had. The bowlers gave it a go, snapping up 4 Royals wickets in the powerplay, but the Royals had too much in reserve.
Chattogram now lead their head-to-head record against Noakhali 2-0. Their previous encounter in 2025 ended in a 65-run win for the Royals at Sylhet International, and this result confirms that Noakhali have yet to find the combination to trouble them.
Venue and conditions
Shere Bangla National Stadium has hosted 469 T20 matches, making it one of the most data-rich grounds in South Asian domestic cricket. The average first-innings score is 179 and the average second-innings score is 161, a gap that suggests chasing is not as straightforward as it might appear on a batter-friendly surface. Teams posting 126 or fewer are, on historical evidence, likely to fall short.
The powerplay average of 39 runs at this venue explains why Noakhali's 49 for 2 looked encouraging early on. However, the death-overs average of 34 runs suggests that the final phase is where totals are made or lost. Noakhali managed only 20 runs from their death overs for the loss of 4 wickets, which is significantly below par. Spin tends to be effective in the middle overs here, and a surface that offers some purchase for off-spin and left-arm orthodox bowling is relevant given the players both sides carry.
The toss remained influential. The 54 per cent chase success rate at this ground is only modestly in favour of the side batting second, which means conditions did not make Noakhali's below-par total straightforward to defend.
How to watch
BPL T20 fixtures are generally available to UK viewers via Sky Sports Cricket. Streaming access is available through Sky Go for existing subscribers and via NOW TV for those without a full Sky package. Match times in Bangladesh are five and a half hours ahead of UK time, so evening fixtures in Dhaka tend to fall in the early afternoon in the UK.
For confirmed broadcast schedules and any changes to coverage, check Sky Sports' official listings closer to each fixture date.
Recent form
Chattogram Royals arrived at this fixture in strong shape. Four wins from their last five BPL matches in 2026, including victories over Rajashahi Warriors, Sylhet Titans (twice), and Dhaka Capitals, placed them amongst the competition's more consistent performers. Their only recent loss came against Rangpur Riders.
Noakhali Express's form was patchier. They won their last two matches before this fixture, beating Dhaka Capitals and Rangpur Riders, but had lost three of the five before that, including defeats to Rajshahi Warriors, Dhaka Capitals, and Sylhet Titans. That inconsistency in results mirrored the inconsistency in their batting against the Royals here: bright in the powerplay, undone later. For Noakhali to challenge Chattogram in any future meeting, they will need greater depth and reliability across all twenty overs.
