Taijul Islam equaled Shakib Al Hasan’s record in the first innings, but in the second innings, he rose above everyone.
The moment the umpire raised his finger, Taijul’s teammates rushed toward him in celebration. Amid the huddle, Mushfiqur Rahim lifted the spinner onto his shoulders—a fitting image, because Taijul truly stands alone at the top of Bangladesh’s cricketing history now.
He had reached the summit in the first innings, but Shakib was still alongside him. Early in the second innings, the left-arm spinner claimed the wicket he needed to step ahead of Bangladesh’s greatest-ever cricketer. Taijul is now Bangladesh’s highest Test wicket-taker—solely and undisputed.
His four wickets in the first innings brought him level with Shakib’s 246. In the second innings, he moved past Shakib by trapping Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie lbw.
Bangladesh began bowling on Saturday after setting Ireland a target of 509 in Mirpur. With the new ball in hand, Taijul didn’t have to wait long for history. In just his third over, he found the breakthrough.
Balbirnie couldn’t adjust to the sharp delivery, and after Taijul’s appeal, the umpire raised his finger. Even a review couldn’t save the Irish captain.
Now, after becoming the most successful Test bowler in the country’s history, another milestone beckons—250 Test wickets. Shortly after removing Balbirnie, he also dismissed Paul Stirling, moving even closer.
Shakib took 246 wickets in 121 innings. Taijul surpassed him in 19 fewer innings.
Right behind them is Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who entered the final innings of the Mirpur Test with 209 wickets in 97 innings. The only other Bangladeshi in the 100-wicket club is Mohammad Rafique (100). Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, who retired from Test cricket in 2009, remains in the top five with 78 wickets.
