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The grand finale and award-giving ceremony of Robi Bowler Hunt, an initiative to identify and nurture promising bowling talents in Bangladesh, was held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Monday.
The talent hunt, which began with more than 25,000 registrations, identified 143 promising bowlers through trials held at venues across the country. They included 57 pace bowlers and 86 spinners, comprising 108 male and 35 female participants.
The nationwide participation and selection of promising bowlers reflect the scale and inclusive approach of the initiative to discover new cricketing talent across Bangladesh.
The selected participants took part in the national-level selection round in Dhaka on November 1. Following a day-long training programme, they were assessed on the basis of their skills and performances.
A total of 42 shortlisted bowlers qualified for the final round on November 2. Experienced coaches and cricket experts evaluated their performances during the final trials to select the winners.
A total of 21 bowlers were named winners of the Robi Bowler Hunt, while two others received special awards.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Tamim Iqbal Khan, Chief Executive Officer Nizam Uddin Chowdhury, Robi Axiata PLC Head of Marketing Shawkat Kader Chowdhury, Chief Corporate and Regulatory Officer Shahed Alam, and senior officials of both organisations attended the award-giving ceremony.
Speaking at the event, BCB President Tamim Iqbal Khan said identifying and nurturing new talent was crucial to the continued development of cricket in Bangladesh.
“Initiatives like Robi Bowler Hunt provide promising cricketers with a valuable opportunity to showcase their talent and gain recognition. We appreciate Robi’s involvement in the development of cricket,” he said.
He expressed hope that the initiative would inspire more young bowlers to pursue their goals through dedication, discipline and hard work.
Robi Axiata PLC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Ziad Sattar said the initiative reflected the company’s commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for young talent in Bangladesh.
“We believe talent can emerge from anywhere. Initiatives like this can provide promising cricketers with opportunities to showcase their skills and move closer to fulfilling their dreams,” he said.
He added that through its partnership with the BCB, Robi aimed to contribute to grassroots cricket development and inspire the next generation of cricketers in the country.
Shawkat Kader Chowdhury said Robi Bowler Hunt demonstrated the company’s commitment to creating opportunities for promising bowlers and expressed hope that it would encourage more young people to take up cricket and develop their skills.
The Robi Bowler Hunt was officially launched on September 15, 2026. The nationwide selection process began in Sylhet on September 27 and was conducted at eight venues in Sylhet, Khulna, Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Chattogram and two locations in Dhaka. Participants from Barishal were also given the opportunity to take part in the trials at the Khulna venue.
Robi had previously organised pace bowling and spin bowling hunts in partnership with the BCB. These initiatives helped identify promising cricketers such as Ebadot Hossain and Rishad Hossain.
Robi Axiata PLC is a publicly listed company in which Malaysia-based Axiata Group Berhad holds a 61.82 per cent stake. Bharti Airtel of India owns 28.18 per cent, while public shareholders hold the remaining 10 per cent.
Robi is the country’s second-largest mobile phone operator. The company says it continues to invest in telecommunications infrastructure and introduce digital services to expand connectivity and support the country’s growing digital ecosystem.