On Sunday night in Sylhet, Mohammad Nabi, his son Hassan Eisakhil, Noakhali Express and the Bangladesh Premier League combined to produce a rare moment in professional cricket as father and son played together in the same XI for the first time.
The match against Dhaka Capitals marked a landmark occasion for the Afghanistan great and his family, with 19-year-old Hassan handed his BPL debut alongside his 41-year-old father in match 22 of the season. For Nabi, who made his professional debut in 2007 when his son was just 11 months old, it was a moment almost two decades in the making.
Noakhali Express confirmed Eisakhil’s signing for the 2025-26 campaign in December and eventually handed him his maiden cap after several games on the bench. Opening the innings after Noakhali chose to bat first, Hassan produced a mature and commanding knock of 92 from 60 balls, striking seven fours and five sixes to anchor the innings and guide his side to 184 for 7.
Nabi joined Hassan at the crease after Habibur Rahman Sohan departed, with Noakhali 119 for 3. The pair shared a fruitful 53-run partnership from just 30 balls. Eisakhil contributed 34 from 17 deliveries, while Nabi added 17 from 13 balls, offering a glimpse of a generational passing of the baton as they batted together under lights in Sylhet.
Earlier Eisakhil found support from Soumya Sarkar, who made a fluent 48 off 25 deliveries, as the pair added a century stand to put Noakhali firmly in control through the powerplay and middle overs. Soumya’s dismissal at 101 in the 10th over provided the first breakthrough for Dhaka.
The sight of Nabi and Hassan sharing the crease placed them among a rare group of father-son duos to feature together at the highest level of professional cricket. Comparable moments have been few, including Shivnarine and Tagenarine Chanderpaul playing together for Guyana in 2017 and Timor-Leste’s Suhail Sattar appearing alongside his son Yahya in 2025.
For Noakhali Express, the milestone came during a difficult campaign. They entered the match with just one win from seven games and were already out of contention for the knockout stages.
