Noakhali Express: BPL Squad, Schedule, Players List, History & Results
Most BPL franchises get a year to prepare. Noakhali Express got about six weeks. The team was announced in November 2025, played its first match on 26 December, and by then had already changed captain plans, squad plans and most of its overseas list.
So who are the Noakhali Express? They are the newest franchise in the Bangladesh Premier League, owned by Desh Travels, coached by Khaled Mahmud, and based in Noakhali. BPL 2026 was their first ever season, and they finished sixth of six with 2 wins from 10 matches. Shykat Ali was named captain, but Pakistan batter Haider Ali took over from their third game.
This page has the full 28-man squad with shirt numbers, the story of a debut season, and the projected 2027 fixture list.
Noakhali Express Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Noakhali Express |
| City | Noakhali, Bangladesh |
| Founded | November 2025 |
| Owner | Desh Travels |
| Captain | Shykat Ali, then Haider Ali |
| Head coach | Khaled Mahmud |
| Assistant coach | Talha Jubair |
| Home ground | Shaheed Bulu Stadium, Noakhali |
| BPL titles | 0 |
| Seasons played | 1 |
| Squad size (BPL 2026) | 28 players |
| BPL 2026 finish | 6th of 6 |
| BPL 2026 record | 2 wins, 8 losses |
How Many Players Are in the Noakhali Express Squad?
Noakhali carried 28 players in BPL 2026, the biggest squad in the tournament by some distance. That was 16 Bangladeshi cricketers and 12 overseas signings.
Twelve overseas players for four match slots looks strange. For a brand new franchise it made sense, because nobody knew which foreign signings would actually turn up, and the season was assembled in weeks rather than months.
The overseas list pulled heavily from Afghanistan and the West Indies. Mohammad Nabi, Zahir Khan, Sediqullah Atal, Hassan Eisakhil and Bilal Sami came from Afghanistan, while Evin Lewis and Johnson Charles arrived from the Caribbean.
The local group had real names too. Soumya Sarkar, Jaker Ali, Hasan Mahmud and Shahadat Hossain Dipu have all played for Bangladesh, and Abu Jayed and Nazmul Islam Apu are experienced domestic professionals.
How many matches did they play?
Noakhali played 10 matches in BPL 2026, all in the league stage. They finished bottom with 2 wins, 8 losses, 4 points and a net run rate of −1.038.
That net run rate figure was the worst in the tournament and tells the real story. Noakhali did not just lose, they lost heavily and often.
Every side plays 10 league games in the six-team format, and the top four reach the playoffs. Our BPL Schedule 2026-27 page covers the full structure.
Noakhali Express Squad 2026: Full Players List
Noakhali issued shirt numbers, which is a nice touch for a first-season franchise. Ages below are completed years around January 2026, and cells are marked where a date of birth is not reliably published.
Bangladeshi players
| No. | Player | Role | Batting | Bowling | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 111 | Shykat Ali (c) | All-rounder | Right-hand | Right-arm medium | Not listed |
| 59 | Soumya Sarkar | Opening batter | Left-hand | Right-arm medium | 32 |
| 15 | Jaker Ali (wk) | Wicketkeeper-batter | Right-hand | n/a | 27 |
| 4 | Mahidul Islam Ankon (wk) | Wicketkeeper-batter | Right-hand | n/a | 26 |
| 78 | Shahadat Hossain Dipu | Middle-order batter | Right-hand | Right-arm off-break | 24 |
| 96 | Munim Shahriar | Opening batter | Right-hand | n/a | 27 |
| 76 | Habibur Rahman Sohan | Middle-order batter | Right-hand | n/a | Not listed |
| 19 | Rahmatullah Ali | All-rounder | Right-hand | Right-arm off-break | Not listed |
| 51 | Sabbir Hossain | All-rounder | Right-hand | Right-arm medium | Not listed |
| 91 | Hasan Mahmud | Fast bowler | Right-hand | Right-arm fast-medium | 26 |
| 17 | Abu Jayed | Fast bowler | Right-hand | Right-arm fast-medium | 32 |
| 98 | Mehedi Hasan Rana | Fast bowler | Left-hand | Left-arm fast | 28 |
| 24 | Rejaur Rahman Raja | Fast bowler | Right-hand | Right-arm medium-fast | Not listed |
| 11 | Musfik Hasan | Fast bowler | Right-hand | Right-arm medium | Not listed |
| 21 | Nazmul Islam Apu | Spin bowler | Left-hand | Slow left-arm orthodox | 30 |
| 8 | Abu Hasim | Spin bowler | Left-hand | Slow left-arm orthodox | Not listed |
Overseas players
| No. | Player | Country | Role | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | Haider Ali (c) | Pakistan | Top-order batter | 25 |
| 7 | Mohammad Nabi | Afghanistan | Spin all-rounder | 40 |
| 07 | Hassan Eisakhil | Afghanistan | Top-order batter | 22 |
| 26 | Sediqullah Atal | Afghanistan | Opening batter | 23 |
| 75 | Zahir Khan | Afghanistan | Left-arm wrist spinner | 27 |
| 22 | Bilal Sami | Afghanistan | Fast bowler | Not listed |
| 17 | Evin Lewis | West Indies | Opening batter | 34 |
| 25 | Johnson Charles (wk) | West Indies | Wicketkeeper-batter | 37 |
| n/a | Kusal Mendis (wk) | Sri Lanka | Wicketkeeper-batter | 30 |
| 16 | Maaz Sadaqat | Pakistan | Spin all-rounder | Not listed |
| 150 | Ihsanullah Khan | Pakistan | Fast bowler | 23 |
| 33 | Ibrar Ahmad | United Arab Emirates | Fast bowler | Not listed |
Four wicketkeepers across the two lists is a lot. That happens when a squad is put together at speed and nobody is certain who will be available.
The captaincy switch
Shykat Ali was named captain before the tournament. He did not feature in the third match, and Pakistan batter Haider Ali took over the captaincy from that game onwards.
Changing captain three matches into your first ever season is not ideal preparation. It is also fairly typical of how quickly this franchise had to be assembled.
Haider Ali is 25 and has played international T20 cricket for Pakistan, so he was not short of experience. He was, however, leading a squad he barely knew, in a country he had not played much cricket in.
Key players
Hassan Eisakhil, the find of the season
The 22-year-old Afghan batter made his BPL debut mid-tournament and finished as Noakhali’s leading run scorer with 224 runs. That was more than any of the bigger overseas names managed.
He arrived as a replacement rather than a marquee signing, which makes the return better still. ESPNcricinfo’s round-up singled him out as one of the feel-good stories of the season.
Hasan Mahmud, the bowling spearhead
Hasan Mahmud led the attack with 16 wickets, a strong return in a side that lost eight of ten. Bowlers in poor teams usually get punished; he did not.
He bowls right-arm fast-medium and has been part of Bangladesh’s international set-up. He was comfortably the best thing about Noakhali’s season.
Mehedi Hasan Rana and the first hat-trick of BPL 2026
Rana took the first hat-trick of the season against Sylhet Titans, the ninth in BPL history and the first of his T20 career. Noakhali still lost that match by one wicket, which is about as Noakhali as it gets.
Soumya Sarkar took six catches, the most for the team. Jaker Ali led the keeping with four dismissals, and Mohammad Nabi, at 40, brought experience that a first-year franchise badly needed.
Noakhali Express History: A One-Season Story So Far
Noakhali Express have played exactly one BPL season, so there is no long history to run through. What there is instead is the story of how a franchise appears out of nothing.
How the franchise was created
Bangladeshi media first reported a Noakhali franchise joining the BPL in November 2025. Desh Travels took ownership, and the team was confirmed alongside a wider reshuffle in which BCB rebuilt the league around six sides.
Four of the six teams in BPL 2026 were either brand new or renamed: Noakhali Express, Chattogram Royals, Sylhet Titans and Rajshahi Warriors. Only Dhaka Capitals and Rangpur Riders carried straight over.
Khaled Mahmud, one of the most experienced coaches in Bangladeshi cricket and a former national captain, took charge with Talha Jubair assisting.
Every Noakhali season in the BPL
| Season | Year | Team Name | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 2026 | Noakhali Express | 6th of 6 |
Short table. It will grow.
Why a Noakhali franchise matters
Noakhali sits in the Chattogram division and has produced plenty of domestic cricketers without ever having a top-level team to call its own. A BPL side gives the district a professional structure and a reason for young players to stay in the system.
The Shaheed Bulu Stadium in Noakhali is a proper venue that hosts domestic cricket. Whether the BPL ever takes matches there is a separate question, and right now the answer is no.
BPL 2026 Season Review: A Hard First Season
Statistical leaders
| Category | Player | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| Most runs | Hassan Eisakhil | 224 |
| Most wickets | Hasan Mahmud | 16 |
| Most catches | Soumya Sarkar | 6 |
| Most keeping dismissals | Jaker Ali | 4 |
| Hat-trick | Mehedi Hasan Rana | vs Sylhet Titans |
League record
| Stat | Figure |
|---|---|
| Matches | 10 |
| Won | 2 |
| Lost | 8 |
| Points | 4 |
| Net run rate | −1.038 |
| League position | 6th of 6 |
The first match
Noakhali’s first ever BPL fixture came on 26 December 2025 against Chattogram Royals at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. Chattogram batted first and made 174 for 6.
Noakhali were bowled out for 109 in 16.5 overs and lost by 65 runs. Not the debut anyone wanted, though facing a Chattogram side that would reach the final was a rough draw.
The two wins
Both victories were worth having. Against Rangpur Riders they posted 148, defended it, and won by 9 runs as Rangpur finished on 139 for 9.
That result mattered more than it looked at the time. Rangpur missed Qualifier 1 on net run rate, and losing to the bottom side is exactly the sort of defeat that causes it.
The second win came against Dhaka Capitals. Noakhali batted first, made 184 for 7 in the match where Hassan Eisakhil made his BPL debut, and bowled Dhaka out for 143 to win by 41 runs.
The collapses
The low point came against Sylhet Titans on 5 January. Noakhali chose to bat and were bowled out for 61 in 14.2 overs. Sylhet knocked off the runs in 8.4 overs.
They also lost by one wicket to the same Sylhet side earlier in the tournament, the match where Mehedi Hasan Rana took his hat-trick. Losing a game after taking a hat-trick takes a particular kind of season.
Rajshahi Warriors beat them twice, once by 6 wickets and once by 4 wickets. Chattogram Royals beat them twice as well.
Eight defeats and a net run rate of −1.038 is the record of a team that ran out of preparation time rather than talent.
Noakhali Express Expected Schedule 2027
BCB has not released the official BPL 2026-27 fixture list. The table below is our projection based on the BPL 2026 structure and the reported mid-January 2027 target.
| Match No. | Date (Expected) | Opponent | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 16 Jan 2027 | Rangpur Riders | Sylhet |
| 5 | 18 Jan 2027 | Chattogram Royals | Sylhet |
| 7 | 19 Jan 2027 | Sylhet Titans | Sylhet |
| 11 | 23 Jan 2027 | Rajshahi Warriors | Chattogram |
| 14 | 24 Jan 2027 | Dhaka Capitals | Chattogram |
| 18 | 29 Jan 2027 | Rangpur Riders | Chattogram |
| 20 | 30 Jan 2027 | Chattogram Royals | Chattogram |
| 22 | 2 Feb 2027 | Sylhet Titans | Dhaka |
| 26 | 5 Feb 2027 | Rajshahi Warriors | Dhaka |
| 29 | 6 Feb 2027 | Dhaka Capitals | Dhaka |
Whether Noakhali Express appear in BPL 2027 at all is not yet confirmed. New BPL franchises have disappeared after one season before, so treat both the fixtures and the team name as expected rather than certain.
Shaheed Bulu Stadium: The Home Ground
Noakhali Express list Shaheed Bulu Stadium in Noakhali as their home ground. It is a domestic venue that has staged first-class and List A cricket for years.
No BPL matches were played there in 2026. The tournament used Sylhet, Chattogram and Dhaka only, so Noakhali played all ten of their matches away from their own district.
For a first-season franchise trying to build a fanbase, that is a real handicap. Supporters had no chance to see the team in their own city, which makes growing a following much harder.
If BCB ever widens the venue list, Noakhali would be one of the obvious candidates alongside Rajshahi and Khulna. Nothing has been announced for 2027.
Stadium guides for the grounds the BPL actually uses are on our BPL Venues page.
What to Expect from Noakhali Express in BPL 2027
The first question is whether they exist. New BPL franchises have a poor survival record, and Desh Travels have completed one season with a bottom-placed team and no home matches.
Assuming they return, the fixes are obvious. Hassan Eisakhil and Hasan Mahmud were the two players who consistently delivered, and both should be retained rather than sent back into the draft.
The captaincy needs settling before the season, not three matches into it. Whoever leads should be signed early and given a squad built around them.
Twenty-eight players was too many. A tighter squad of 20 to 22, with more preparation time and fewer emergency signings, would help far more than another dozen names.
Two wins in a debut season is not a disaster. Beating Rangpur Riders and Dhaka Capitals showed the team could compete when things clicked.
Squad news and retentions go on this page and on our BPL Squads hub as soon as they are official.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Noakhali Express a new BPL team?
Yes. The franchise was introduced by Desh Travels in November 2025 and BPL 2026 was its first ever season.
Who owns Noakhali Express?
Desh Travels, who created the franchise in November 2025.
Who is the captain of Noakhali Express?
Shykat Ali was named captain, but Pakistan batter Haider Ali took over from the team’s third match after Shykat did not feature.
Who is the coach of Noakhali Express?
Khaled Mahmud, a former Bangladesh captain and one of the most experienced coaches in the country. Talha Jubair is his assistant.
How many players are in the Noakhali Express squad?
Twenty-eight for BPL 2026: 16 Bangladeshi and 12 overseas. It was the largest squad in the tournament.
Where did Noakhali Express finish in BPL 2026?
Sixth of six, with 2 wins from 10 matches, 4 points and a net run rate of −1.038.
Who did Noakhali Express beat in BPL 2026?
Rangpur Riders by 9 runs and Dhaka Capitals by 41 runs. Those were their only two wins.
Who scored the most runs for Noakhali Express?
Hassan Eisakhil of Afghanistan, with 224 runs. He joined mid-tournament and made his BPL debut during the season.
Who took the first hat-trick of BPL 2026?
Mehedi Hasan Rana of Noakhali Express, against Sylhet Titans. It was the ninth hat-trick in BPL history and the first of his T20 career.
Where do Noakhali Express play home matches?
Shaheed Bulu Stadium in Noakhali is their listed home ground, but the BPL did not use Noakhali as a host city in 2026.
What was Noakhali Express’s lowest score?
Sixty-one all out in 14.2 overs against Sylhet Titans on 5 January 2026.
Final Words
Noakhali Express were built in about six weeks and finished bottom of BPL 2026. Given the timeline, that is closer to expected than embarrassing.
Hassan Eisakhil’s 224 runs, Hasan Mahmud’s 16 wickets and Mehedi Hasan Rana’s hat-trick were the parts worth keeping. The wins over Rangpur Riders and Dhaka Capitals proved the side could beat better teams on a good day.
What they need now is time, a settled captain and a squad half the size. Whether they get any of it depends on whether the franchise returns for 2027 at all.