 | |
| League | Bangladesh Premier League |
|---|---|
| Personnel | |
| Captain | Shykat Ali Haider Ali |
| Coach | Khaled Mahmud |
| Owner | Desh Travels |
| Team information | |
| City | Noakhali, Bangladesh |
| Colours | Sky Blue |
| Founded | 2025 (2025) |
| Home ground | Shaheed Bulu Stadium |
| Official website | https://noakhaliexpressbpl.com/ |
Noakhali Express (Bengali: নোয়াখালী এক্সপ্রেস) is a professional franchise Twenty20 cricket team based in Noakhali, Bangladesh. The team is a newly added franchise set to compete in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the country's premier domestic T20 competition, starting from the upcoming 2026 edition.
The team is the first franchise representing the Noakhali region in the history of the BPL.
History
Formation and ownership
The franchise was officially introduced by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the BPL Governing Council in November 2025 as part of an expansion plan to increase the league from five to six teams.[1]
The ownership rights for the Noakhali franchise were acquired by the transportation company, Desh Travels, who secured a five-year agreement.[2]
2026 Bangladesh Premier League season
The Noakhali Express team is scheduled to make its debut in the 2026 BPL season, which is slated to begin on 26 December 2025.[3] The squad was finalised at the players' auction, which returns to the BPL after a 12-year hiatus, on 30 November 2025 in Dhaka.[4]
Noakhali had already signed Soumya Sarker, Kusal Mendis, Johnson Charles and Hasan Mahmud before the auction.
Other notable signings include Jaker Ali, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Rejaur Rahman Raja, Mehedi Hasan Rana, the father-son duo of Mohammad Nabi and Hassan Eisakhil, Sediqullah Atal, Evin Lewis, Zahir Khan and Maaz Sadaqat.
Current squad
The squad of Noakhali Express for 2025–26 season is:
| Name | Nationality | Batting style | Bowling style | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batters | ||||
| Soumya Sarkar |  Bangladesh
|
Left-handed | Right-arm medium | N/a |
| Habibur Rahman Sohan | Bangladesh
|
Right-handed | N/a | |
| Shahadat Hossain Dipu | Bangladesh
|
Right-handed | Right-arm off break | N/a |
| Haider Ali |  Pakistan
|
Right-handed | N/a | Overseas |
| Sediqullah Atal | .svg/1280px-Flag_of_Afghanistan_(2013%E2%80%932021).svg.png) Afghanistan
|
Left-handed | N/a | Overseas |
| Hassan Eisakhil | Afghanistan
|
Right-handed | N/a | Overseas |
| Wicket-keepers | ||||
| Johnson Charles |  West Indies
|
Right-handed | N/a | Overseas |
| Kusal Mendis |  Sri Lanka
|
Right-handed | N/a | Overseas |
| Jaker Ali | Bangladesh
|
Right-handed | N/a | |
| Mahidul Islam Ankon | Bangladesh
|
Right-handed | N/a | |
| All-rounders | ||||
| Maaz Sadaqat | Pakistan
|
Left-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | Overseas |
| Rahmatullah Ali | Bangladesh
|
Right-handed | Right-arm off break | N/a |
| Shykat Ali | Bangladesh
|
Right-handed | Right-arm medium | Captain |
| Sabbir Hossain | Bangladesh
|
Right-handed | Right-arm medium | N/a |
| Mohammad Nabi | Afghanistan
|
Right-handed | Right-arm off break | Overseas |
| Spin bowlers | ||||
| Nazmul Islam Apu | Bangladesh
|
Left-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | N/a |
| Abu Hasim | Bangladesh
|
Left-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | N/a |
| Zahir Khan | Afghanistan
|
Left-handed | Left-arm Chinaman | Overseas |
| Pace bowlers | ||||
| Hasan Mahmud | Bangladesh
|
Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | N/a |
| Mehedi Hasan Rana | Bangladesh
|
Left-handed | Left-arm fast | N/a |
| Rejaur Rahman Raja | Bangladesh
|
Right-handed | Right-arm medium fast | N/a |
| Musfik Hasan | Bangladesh
|
Right-handed | Right-arm medium | N/a |
| Ihsanullah Khan | Pakistan
|
Right-handed | Right-arm fast | Overseas |
| Bilal Sami | Afghanistan
|
Right-handed | Right-arm medium | Overseas |
| Ibrar Ahmad |  United Arab Emirates
|
Right-handed | Right-arm medium fast | Overseas |
Coaching staff
The coaching panel of Noakhali Express for the season 2025-26 is:[5]
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Khaled Mahmud |
| Assistant coach | Talha Jubair |
References
- ^ "BPL set to expand to 6 teams with Noakhali franchise added". Daily Sun. 25 November 2025. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ^ "BPL to start on 19 December with six teams". CricFrenzy. 26 November 2025. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ^ "BPL to start on December 19 with Noakhali Express as new franchise". CricTracker. 26 November 2025. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ^ "BPL GC confirms new date for players' Auction". CricFrenzy. 19 November 2025. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ^ "BPL franchises gear up for auction on November 30". The Daily Star (Bangladesh). 2025-11-27. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
