Taijul Islam

International career

Taijul Islam was born on 7 February 1992. He is a left-arm spin bowler from Bangladesh who plays for the national cricket team. Taijul started playing international cricket in September 2014.

After doing well in the 2013–14 domestic cricket season, Taijul was chosen for Bangladesh A. Soon after, he made his Test debut during Bangladesh’s tour of the West Indies in 2014. In his first Test match, he took five wickets. Later that year, when Zimbabwe visited Bangladesh, Taijul recorded the best bowling figures for Bangladesh in Tests with 8 wickets for 39 runs. He also played his first One Day International (ODI) match in that series and took a hat-trick, the first player to do so on debut.

Test Matches

• Debut: West Indies vs Bangladesh, Kingstown, September 5-9, 2014
• Latest match: Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe, Chattogram, April 28-30, 2025

One Day Internationals (ODI)

• Debut: Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe, Mirpur, December 1, 2014
• Latest match: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Chattogram, March 15, 2024

Twenty20 Internationals (T20I)

• Debut: Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe, Mirpur, September 13, 2019
• Latest match: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, Mirpur, September 15, 2019

From 2014 to 2020

• Taijul Islam played very well in the 2013-14 domestic season. Because of this, he joined Bangladesh A team to tour the West Indies in May 2014. Later that year, Bangladesh’s main team toured the West Indies. Taijul joined the team late, replacing another spinner.
• On his first Test match in Kingstown, he took 5 wickets while bowling. This was a big achievement for a debut player.
• In October and November 2014, Taijul played at home against Zimbabwe. In the first Test, he took 8 wickets for 39 runs in one innings. This is the best bowling figure by any Bangladeshi in a Test innings. His bowling helped Bangladesh win the match by three wickets. He also won the man of the match award.
• On December 1, 2014, Taijul played his first ODI match against Zimbabwe. He took 4 wickets for 11 runs, including a hat-trick. This was the first time a Bangladeshi player took a hat-trick on ODI debut.
• In the 2015 World Cup, Taijul was in the team but played only one match. Later in 2015, he played in Tests against Pakistan and took 6 wickets for 163 runs, a very good performance.
• In 2018, Bangladesh Cricket Board gave Taijul a central contract to keep him in the team. In September 2019, he played his first T20I match against Zimbabwe and took a wicket with his first ball.

From 2021 to Now

• In May 2022, Taijul joined the Test and ODI squad for the West Indies tour. He did not play the first two ODIs but played the third match. In that match, he took 5 wickets for 28 runs, his best in ODIs. Bangladesh won the series 3-0.
• In July 2022, Taijul took 5 wickets in the third ODI against West Indies. Bangladesh won that series 3-0 and kept winning against West Indies in ODIs for 11 matches in a row.
• In April 2022, he took 6 wickets in the second Test against South Africa.
• On December 2, 2023, Taijul helped Bangladesh win a Test match against New Zealand for the first time at home. He took 6 wickets in the second innings and 4 wickets in the first innings. The match was in Sylhet.
• In December 2024, Taijul took 5 wickets in the second Test against West Indies. Bangladesh won the match. This was their first win in the Caribbean since 2009.
• In October 2024, reports said Taijul is ready to be the captain of Bangladesh’s Test team.

Career Numbers (until now)

• Test: 53 matches, 228 wickets, average 31.20 runs per wicket, economy rate about 3.05 runs per over, best bowling 8 wickets for 39 runs.
• ODI: 20 matches, 31 wickets, average 25.97, economy about 4.60 runs per over, best bowling 5 wickets for 28 runs.
• T20I: 2 matches, 1 wicket, average 58.00, economy about 8.29 runs per over, best bowling 1 wicket for 26 runs.

Taijul Islam ranks 16th in the ICC Test bowling rankings with 675 points.

Leagues Participation

Taijul Islam played in many Bangladesh Premier League seasons. He joined Duronto Rajshahi in 2012 and 2013, then returned in 2020. He was with Barisal Bulls in 2015 and 2016. In 2017, he played for Sylhet Strikers. In 2019, he moved to Khulna Titans. Later, he represented Fortune Barishal Cricket Team in 2021 and 2024. In 2023, he took part with Chattogram Challengers.

Indian Premier League

Taijul Islam played for many teams in the Bangladesh Premier League during his career. He started with Duronto Rajshahi in the 2012-2013 season and returned there in 2020. He was part of Barisal Bulls in 2015 and 2016, then joined Sylhet Strikers in 2017. In 2019, he played for Khulna Titans. Later, he represented Fortune Barishal in 2021 and 2024. In 2023, he joined Chattogram Challengers. Some seasons he did not play because of team changes or selection decisions.

Year	Team	Notes
2012-2013	Duronto Rajshahi	Played three matches including semi-final; team lost to Barisal Burners
2015-2016	Barisal Bulls	Active player in the squad
2017	Sylhet Strikers	Played during the season
2019	Khulna Titans	Took 13 wickets in 12 matches; best player in the team for wickets; notable 3/10 figures
2020	Duronto Rajshahi	Returned to the team
2021	Fortune Barishal	Participated in the season
2023	Chattogram Challengers	Played and took 75 wickets in T20 cricket
2024	Fortune Barishal	Played and became fastest Bangladeshi bowler to reach 200 Test wickets

Domestic career

Taijul Islam started his cricket career in his hometown of Natore. He then moved up to play for Rajshahi Division. In 2009, he joined the Bangladesh under-19 team and played in Sri Lanka. He appeared in three under-19 One Day Internationals and one under-19 Test match. His first-class debut came in the 2010–11 National Cricket League season with Rajshahi Division. In three matches, he took 14 wickets. This caught the attention of Khaled Mashud, a former Bangladesh captain, who supported Taijul’s place in the team for several seasons.

In 2011–12, Taijul joined Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club in the Dhaka Premier Division. At that time, the league was one of the strongest one-day competitions in Bangladesh, though it did not yet have official list-A status. He also played for Duronto Rajshahi in the first season of the Bangladesh Premier League, participating in three matches including the semi-final. The following season, he took nine wickets in nine matches.

In August 2013, Taijul played for the Bangladesh under-23 team at the ACC Emerging Teams Cup in Singapore. These were his first official list-A matches. Later that year, the Dhaka Premier Division gained list-A status. Taijul became one of the top wicket-takers with 22 wickets in 15 matches. His best bowling figures were 6/19 against Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club.

At the end of 2013, Taijul played for a Prime Bank Limited team in the Victory Day Cup. He appeared in seven matches in this Twenty20 tournament. Earlier that year, he had also played for Rajshahi Division in the Bangladesh Games. The 2013–14 season became a breakthrough for him in first-class cricket. Playing for North Zone, a team made up of players from Rajshahi and Rangpur Divisions, he took 37 wickets in four matches in the Bangladesh Cricket League. He had his first ten-wicket match haul against East Zone, with 12 wickets for 122 runs. He took 11 wickets against Central Zone and 10 wickets against South Zone in the final. These performances led to his Man of the Tournament award. His National Cricket League season was less successful but included a ten-wicket haul against Sylhet Division, which earned him man of the match.

In October 2018, Taijul joined the Khulna Titans squad for the 2018–19 Bangladesh Premier League. He became the team’s leading wicket-taker with 13 wickets in 12 matches. In August 2019, he was selected among 35 players for a training camp preparing for Bangladesh’s 2019–20 season. Later that year, in November, Taijul joined the Rajshahi Royals for the Bangladesh Premier League.

Records and achievements

Taijul Islam holds many important records in Bangladesh cricket. His achievements show how he has helped the team and made history for his country.

• Won Player of the Tournament in the Bangladesh Cricket League, 2014
• Played for Fortune Barishal when they won the Bangladesh Premier League in 2024
• First bowler to take a hat-trick in an ODI debut match anywhere in the world
• First Bangladeshi bowler to take five wickets in a Test debut match
• Best bowling figures in a Test match for Bangladesh: 8 wickets for 39 runs
• Second Bangladeshi bowler to reach 100 Test wickets
• Has the second most five-wicket hauls (12) among Bangladesh Test players
• Second highest wicket-taker for Bangladesh in Test cricket
• Nominated for ICC Player of the Month in December 2023

Personal life

Taijul Islam’s life outside cricket shows a mix of family, finance, and moments that attracted attention. His personal side is known to many fans, along with some controversies.

Family

Taijul Islam is married to Jhuma Islam. They have two children, a son and a daughter.

Finance

In 2024, his estimated net worth is around 2 million US dollars.

Scandals

He was fined 25% of his match fee after throwing the ball at Angelo Mathews during the second Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. This broke ICC’s player code of conduct under article 2.9.

Fans

Taijul Islam has about 100,000 followers on Instagram, showing strong support from fans.