The Bangladesh Premier League has produced its share of dramatic finishes and breakout performances, but few stories have landed with the same emotional weight as the one written in Sylhet, where Mohammad Nabi and his son Hassan Eisakhil walked out in the same colours and shared the same crease in a top-tier T20 league.
In Noakhali Express’ clash against Dhaka Capitals at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, the father-son pairing delivered a moment that instantly became part of franchise T20 history, as Eisakhil’s debut innings set up a commanding 41-run victory.
A debut innings that turned into a BPL milestone
Eisakhil was brought into the playing XI for Noakhali Express’ eighth match of the season, after the franchise had already made several changes across the tournament. Making his first appearance in an overseas franchise competition, the young batter made the opportunity count in the biggest way possible.
He struck a superb 92 off 60 balls, mixing composure with clean power as he hit seven fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 153.33.
The innings wasn’t just a personal breakthrough. It lifted Noakhali to their highest total of the tournament, 184 for 7, giving their bowlers a platform that Dhaka ultimately couldn’t match.
Partnerships that lifted Noakhali to 184 for 7
Noakhali’s innings was built around two stands that shaped the match.
Eisakhil first put together a 101-run opening partnership with Soumya Sarkar, before later adding a 53-run fourth-wicket stand with Nabi after the historic moment arrived in the 14th over, when the veteran allrounder joined his son in the middle.
🚨 FATHER AND SON PLAYING TOGETHER IN BPL 🚨
– Hassan Eisakhil marked his debut in BPL, playing alongside his father Mohammed Nabi. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/UGOspPlui1
— Indian Cricket (@IPL2025Auction) January 12, 2026
Nabi contributed 17 off 13 balls before he was dismissed by Abdullah Al Mamun, while Eisakhil fell soon after to Mohammad Saifuddin, but by then the damage had been done.
What a proud moment in Cricket! 🏏
Father and son — @MohammadNabi007 and #HassanEisakhil — played together for the same team in @BPLofficialT20 and Hassan shone with a brilliant innings at the crease beside his father. 👏👏👏
Legacy, love and talent — all in one frame. pic.twitter.com/d1uK05EHzY— Amin Khatir (@AminKhatirAz) January 11, 2026
Dhaka’s chase never found momentum, and they were bowled out for 143 with no batter reaching a fifty.
Inside the father-son dynamic that powered the partnership
The night’s defining image came not only from the runs, but from the relationship behind them.
At the post-match press conference, Eisakhil dismissed the idea that his father is strict at home, saying, “No, no. We are normal father and son. We are friends,” he said.
Nabi followed with a grin and made it clear where his standards kick in, saying, “I am only strict in training. No excuses,” he said.
That preparation, Nabi explained, was central to how Eisakhil handled the occasion and the pressure of a high-profile debut. “I am really happy to play with my son. I have been waiting for a long time to play together with him. I have prepared him as a professional cricketer. He performed very well on debut. We were in the same pitch together. I was telling him what was about to happen; what will the bowler do. Will he bowl fast or bowl a slower one. He was waiting for those balls, and he played really well,” Nabi said.
He also detailed the final tune-up before the match and the work that went into ensuring Eisakhil was ready for this stage. “We spent 90 minutes yesterday to prepare him about the match today. I explained to him what type of bowlers he will face. I gave him a hard time with the [side-arm] stick. We worked on the pace. The way he batted out there, he shifted that knowledge into the match. There’s debut pressure for any youngster in this kind of platform. He managed it very well. He has prepared for the last 20 days for this moment, and he did really well,” Nabi said.
Eisakhil’s mindset, ambition, and the hundred that didn’t matter
For Eisakhil, the story of the night could easily have been framed around falling short of a century on debut, but he made it clear he was thinking only about pushing Noakhali’s total beyond reach.
“I was trying to hit sixes at that stage. I wanted to give my team a bigger total, so I am not disappointed to not be able to reach the hundred,” he said.
With comparisons naturally emerging between father and son, Eisakhil insisted his style is not borrowed, even if the similarities are obvious to viewers.
“It is our dream that I play in the national team. That’s why I am working hard and focusing on domestic cricket. I don’t copy him. Everyone tells me this. But I bat like this naturally,” he said.
Nabi backed that point immediately, saying, “It is his style. He is a natural,” he said.
For Noakhali Express, the result mattered as much as the moment. But for the BPL, the match delivered something rarer than points on a table: a piece of history built on family, preparation, and a debut that felt bigger than the scorecard.
