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Sylhet Division cricket team

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Sylhet Division Cricket Team
ꠍꠤꠟꠦꠐ ꠒꠤꠜꠤꠡꠘ ꠇ꠆ꠞꠤꠇꠦꠐ ꠐꠤꠝ
Personnel
CaptainZakir Hasan
CoachRajin Saleh
Team information
ColoursGreen and Blue
Founded1999
Home groundSylhet International Cricket Stadium
Capacity13,500
History
NCL wins1
One Day Cricket League wins1
NCL T20 wins0

The Sylhet Division Cricket Team is a Bangladeshi first-class team representing Sylhet Division, one of the country's eight administrative regions. The team competes in the National Cricket League (NCL) and the National Cricket League Twenty20 (NCL T20), and previously participated in the now-defunct National Cricket League One-Day tournament.

During the NCL T20 2009–10 season, the team adopted the name Sultans of Sylhet and played in yellow and blue colors. However, with the tournament's restart after long break in 2024, the team decided to drop the "Sultans of Sylhet" name and continue competing under their original divisional name.

Sylhet is also represented by the Sylhet Strikers in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Sylhet’s home ground, the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, holds 13,500 fans and is a proud landmark of the city. In 2024, Sylhet ended their long wait for silverware by winning their first-ever National Cricket League (NCL) title, the country’s top First-Class competition. This historic victory marked the end of a trophy drought that stretched all the way back to their inaugural National One-Day League win in 2001–02.

History

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Sylhet Division has a long and storied history in cricket, dating back to the time when it was part of British India. The first-ever recorded cricket match in the Indian subcontinent was played in Sylhet,[1][2] History of Cricket in Sylhet marking the region's early involvement in the sport.

Despite its historical significance, the Sylhet Division cricket team struggled in Bangladesh's First-Class (FC) competitions, National Cricket League (NCL), for much of its existence.[3] The team faced difficulties in competing at the highest level and was often near the bottom of the standings. However, Sylhet achieved notable success in limited-overs formats, notably winning the inaugural One Day league in 2001. Afterward, the team performed moderately well before the league was eventually defunct.

In the late 2000s, the team transitioned in to the T20 format, playing their first NCL T20 under the name "Sultan of Sylhet." With their medicore performance, Sylhet continued to feature in the NCL, often finishing at or near the bottom of the standings until the 2019-20 season.

A turning point came with the emergence of a powerful pace bowling attack, featuring the likes of Ebadot Hossain, Khaled Ahmed, Tanzim Sakib, and veteran Abu Jayed. This bowling quartet, regarded as the best in the country’s history, played a pivotal role in Sylhet's revival. The 2019-20 season saw Sylhet finish first in NCL Tier 2, securing promotion to Tier 1 for the first time in the team’s history, signaling the start of a new era.

In the 2021-22 season, following the COVID-19 hiatus, Sylhet continued its ascent, finishing third in the standings. Over the next two seasons, the team proved to be one of the most competitive in the league, claiming runners-up positions in both. These performances highlighted the team's transformation into a formidable force in domestic cricket.

Sylhet's crowning achievement came in the 2024-25 season, when the team ended a 24-year trophy drought by winning their first-ever NCL title.[4] This victory, along with their earlier ODI league win in 2001, marked the team’s second major domestic title. The success was largely driven by the team's exceptional pace attack, with Khaled, Ebadot, Tanzim Sakib, Rezaur, and Rahi forming a dominant and highly effective bowling unit. Their performances were so impressive that other teams sought to borrow their pacers for domestic competitions.

Amite Hasan, the team’s captain, was another key contributor to Sylhet's success. As the league's top scorer in the 2024-25 season, his leadership and batting prowess were vital in guiding the team to their long-awaited triumph. While batting depth remains an area of concern, the pace attack's dominance has helped Sylhet become a competitive force in domestic cricket once again.

Sylhet has also produced several notable players who have represented Bangladesh on the international stage. In the early 2000s, players such as Alok Kapali, Rajin Saleh, Enamul Haque Jr., Tapolas Baishya, and Najmul Hossain were key members of the Bangladesh national team, showcasing the region's cricketing talent. However, after 2007-08, the production of top-tier cricketers from Sylhet declined, resulting in a period of stagnation.

The recent emergence of Zakir Hasan, who has established himself in the Bangladesh Test team, along with Jaker Ali, Tanzim Sakib, and Nasum Ahmed, has rejuvenated the region’s cricketing reputation. With several current players regularly featuring for Bangladesh, Sylhet continues to make its mark on the national cricket scene.

From a period of struggle to a period of resurgence, the history of the Sylhet Division Cricket Team reflects the development of a competitive side, particularly with the emergence of a strong pace attack. The team’s recent success in winning the NCL title in the 2024-25 season represents a significant milestone in the region's cricketing history.

Honours

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  • National Cricket League (1) – 2024-25
  • One-Day Cricket League (1) – 2001–02

Seasons

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Season NCL One-Day NCL T20
1999-2000 2nd
2000-01 7th
2001-02 6th 1st
2002-03 6th 3rd
2003-04 2nd 4th
2004-05 5th 4th
2005-06 5th 4th
2006-07 5th 3rd
2007-08 6th 4th
2008-09 6th 6th
2009-10 6th not held 2nd
2010-11 3rd 6th
2011-12 3rd
2012-13 5th
2013-14 5th
2014-15 6th
2015-16 4th in Tier 2 (8th)
2016-17 3rd in Tier 2 (7th)
2017-18 2d in Tier 2 (6th)
2018-19 4th in Tier 2 (8th)
2019-20 1st in Tier 2 (5th)
2020-21 Tournament Cancelled due to Covid
2021-22 3rd in Tier 1(3rd)
2022-23 Runners-up
2023-24 Runners-up
2024-25 Champions

Current squad

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Sylhet Division Cricket Team
Player Age Batting Bowling Role
Zakir Hasan 24y 249d Left-handed N/A Wicketkeeper Batter
Asadulla Al Galib 23y 286d Right-handed Right-arm Offbreak Batter
Abu Jayed 29y 67d Right-handed Right-arm Fast-medium Bowler
Nabil Samad 35y 364d Left-handed Slow Left-arm Orthodox Bowler
Tanzim Hasan Sakib 19y 353d Right-handed Right-arm Fast-medium Bowler
Abu Bakkar 20y 234d Right-handed Right-arm Offbreak Bowler
Amite Hasan (C) 21y 23d Right-handed N/A Batter
Imtiaz Hossain 37y 226d Right-handed Right-arm Offbreak Batter
Mizanur Rahman Sayem 26y 288d Right-handed N/A Batter
Mohiuddin Tareq 18y 328d Right-handed Right-arm Medium Bowler
Naeem Ahmed 24y 151d Right-handed Right-arm Offbreak Bowler
Rahatul Ferdous 27y 3d Left-handed Slow Left-arm Orthodox Bowler
Shahanur Rahman 26y 166d Right-handed Right-arm Offbreak Bowler
Tawfique Khan 31y 118d Right-handed Legbreak Googly Bowler

Records

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Most Runs in First-class Matches

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Most Runs in First-class Matches - Sylhet Division
Player Span Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 0 4s 6s
Imtiaz Hossain 2002–2023 142 255 9 6890 154 28.00 13428 51.31 11 27 24 831 80
Alok Kapali 2002–2021 108 178 7 6109 211* 35.72 11887 51.39 13 24 6 695 60
Rajin Saleh 2002–2018 96 162 12 5957 201* 39.71 15235 39.10 14 34 16 665 55
Golam Mabud 2002–2012 76 139 10 3715 123 28.79 8549 43.45 4 22 12 463 26
Golam Rahman 2003–2012 64 117 5 3274 160 29.23 7558 43.31 5 16 9 408 17
Zakir Hasan 2015–2023 41 68 1 2809 213 41.92 5362 52.38 7 13 4 293 18

Notable players

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The following is a list of players who have played for both Sylhet and Bangladesh.

Sylhet players who have played for countries other than Bangladesh:

References

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  1. ^ Mahmud, Zeeshan (14 August 2013). "A Sepoy Silhouette (1845)". Cricket Literature. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  2. ^ "History, Board of Cricket Control India ( BCCI)". bcci.tv.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ "Sylhet Division Cricket Team Records | FC Match Stats". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  4. ^ "Sylhet Division crowned NCL champions after five-wicket win over Barishal". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
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