“Dula Bhai is here, now we will conquer the field…”—this was the warm and playful welcome Sylhet Titans extended to England’s star all-rounder Moin Ali on Facebook yesterday. Moin’s connection to Sylhet comes through his Bangladeshi-born wife, and the affection of the local fans quickly earned him the affectionate nickname “Dula Bhai.” Today, Moin made his much-anticipated debut for Sylhet Titans in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), and while he didn’t make headlines with bat or ball, the spotlight belonged firmly to Sylhet’s own spin maestro, Nasum Ahmed.
In a remarkable display of left-arm spin, Nasum single-handedly turned the game on its head, taking 5 wickets for just 7 runs to restrict Noakhali Express to a mere 61 all out. Sylhet cruised to a six-wicket victory, with Nasum’s record-breaking figures leaving a mark on BPL history.
Match Summary :
| Team | Innings | Score | Wickets Lost | Overs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noakhali Express | Batting first | 61 | 10 | 19.3 |
| Sylhet Titans | Chasing | 62/4 | 3 | 8.4 |
Noakhali had a steady start, reaching 24 without loss after three overs. But the fourth over changed everything. Nasum struck with his very first delivery, dismissing Soumya Sarkar, and soon after, Munim Shahriar was also out. In the following over, Khaled Ahmed caught Habibur Rahman off Nasum’s bowling, who had scored 18 from 16 balls. Nasum continued to stifle the scoring rate, conceding only one run in the powerplay’s final over.
Returning in the 11th over, Nasum trapped Haider Ali LBW, and in a dramatic final over, he claimed three more wickets—Mehedi Hasan, Jahir Khan, and Bilal Sami—completing his five-wicket haul. His figures of 4 overs, 7 runs, 5 wickets are now the best by a spinner in BPL history.
Having been a mainstay in Bangladesh’s national side for years and a prolific domestic performer, Nasum had never previously taken five wickets in a T20 match across 146 games. By surpassing SAKIB AL HASAN’s 2017 record (5/16 for Dhaka Dynamites) and ranking just behind Taskin Ahmed’s all-time best (7/19 last year for Rajshahi Royals), Nasum cemented his place among the country’s finest bowlers.
With Nasum dismantling the opposition, Sylhet chased the modest total comfortably, losing three wickets in 8.4 overs. Taufiq Khan Tushar top-scored with 32 from 18 balls, while Moin Ali remained unbeaten on 1 from a single delivery, his two overs yielding 6 runs without a wicket.
This victory marked Sylhet Titans’ third win in six matches, leaving Noakhali winless after four games. Nasum Ahmed’s magical bowling ensured that Moin Ali’s debut was memorable not for personal stats, but for the triumph he helped inspire.