Cricket was introduced to Bulgaria by English diplomats in the early 20th century, before decades of the post-WW2 communist regime saw sports like cricket and baseball suspended. Modern history of the game in the country began in 2002 with the foundation of the Bulgarian Cricket Federation, thanks to the efforts of a few enthusiastic locals, and with youth development as a major priority. A national championship began the following year, originally with just four teams competing.

Bulgaria’s first international tournament was the 2004 European Representatives Championship, played in Slovenia. They finished last, with five heavy defeats, but these were early days indeed. ICC membership was achieved in 2008, and the national team went on to finish fourth in the 2009 ICC European Championship Division Five in Greece and have since made appearances at the Continental Cup in Romania. Their first official T20I matches were played in the October 2019 Hellenic Premier League against Serbia and Greece, where Bulgaria defeated the hosts in the final of the international teams section of the tournament.

The women’s team played its first official tournament in 2014, claiming second place in the inaugural Balkan Women’s Championship T20, in Sofia, and going on to win it the following year. The BCF hosted the first European Universities Cricket Trophy T20 in 2015, with men’s and women’s teams participating in the event.