After beginning the tournament with six consecutive defeats, Noakhali Express claimed a second straight victory, with Mohammad Nabi’s son Hasan Isakhil marking his BPL debut in style.
The moment Hasan Isakhil was dismissed, the cameras immediately turned to Mohammad Nabi. Sitting in the dugout, expressionless at first, the Afghanistan all-rounder watched his teammates rise to applaud his son as he walked back. A father’s pride is profound — but so is the disappointment. Falling just eight runs short of a century was clearly hard for Nabi to digest, before he eventually joined in the applause himself.
That near-miss was the only blemish on an otherwise memorable evening for the Nabi family. Isakhil’s superb 92 on debut, a meaningful partnership with his father and a convincing team win combined to make it a night to remember. Noakhali Express beat Dhaka Capitals by 41 runs, completing back-to-back victories after enduring a torrid start to the season.
At the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, Noakhali posted 184 for 7 in their 20 overs. Playing his first match of the tournament, Isakhil struck seven fours and five sixes in a 60-ball 92. Dhaka never truly threatened in the chase and were bowled out for 143.
Nabi contributed with the ball as well, picking up two wickets, while Isakhil added a sharp run-out with a direct hit.
Isakhil had been part of the Noakhali squad from the start of the tournament, while Nabi joined later after featuring in the ILT20. Since his arrival, the father had been a regular in the XI, with the son waiting patiently for his chance. That wait ended here, fittingly, with Nabi himself handing Isakhil his cap.
Noakhali’s decision to bat first after winning the toss raised eyebrows, a rare choice in this BPL season. Up to this match, only three of the previous 22 games had seen the toss-winning side bat first — two of them involving Noakhali.
The decision was quickly justified. Isakhil and Soumya Sarkar tore into the bowling, with Soumya striking Imad Wasim for four fours in four successive balls. Noakhali surged to 64 in the powerplay, the opening pair hammering 11 boundaries in the first five overs.
After the powerplay, Isakhil cleared the ropes for the first six, soon followed by Soumya. The 100 came up in the 10th over.
Soumya’s dismissal slowed the momentum slightly. He mistimed a short ball from Abdullah Al Mamun to Sabir Rahman at midwicket, departing for 48 off 25 balls after a half-century in the previous match. Shahadat Hossain again failed to make an impact, while Habibur Rahman Sohan, returning to the XI at No. 4, managed just four.
The spotlight then fell firmly on the father–son partnership. Nabi and Isakhil added 53 runs off 30 balls, with the son dominating the scoring. Isakhil made 34 off 18 balls in the stand, while Nabi contributed 17 off 13.
Isakhil reached his fifty in 35 balls and looked set for a maiden century with his father alongside him. The turning point came suddenly. Nabi fell first, dismissed off a full toss, and Isakhil followed two balls later without adding to his score.
Noakhali were unable to accelerate at the death, scoring only 17 runs in the final three overs. Taijul Islam, playing his first match of the season, impressed with 2 for 29 from four overs.
Dhaka’s reply unravelled early. Four wickets fell inside the first five overs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz made 11 off 10 balls, hitting a six off Hasan Mahmud before falling next ball. In the following over from Ihsanullah, Abdullah Al Mamun and Saif Hassan were both dismissed.
Saif was out for a duck, continuing a disappointing run that saw the Bangladesh World Cup squad vice-captain score just 48 runs across six BPL matches. Nasir Hossain followed soon after, bowled by Mehedi Hasan Rana without scoring.
Shamim Hossain briefly revived hopes with 29 off 16 balls. Captain Mohammad Mithun made 33 from 31 deliveries, while Sabir Rahman survived two dropped chances before falling for 13 off 10 balls. Saifuddin reduced the margin late with 34 off 20 balls, but the result was never in doubt.
