The man whose record Taijul Islam has just broken—Shakib Al Hasan—has now become the one inspiring him to reach new heights. After setting the record, Taijul received congratulatory messages from several teammates on social media. But the one he probably valued the most came from Shakib Al Hasan himself. Not just because Shakib is Bangladesh’s greatest cricketer of all time, but because Taijul has now surpassed him. Even after being overtaken, Shakib continues to motivate the left-arm spinner to chase a new milestone.
Taijul began the Ireland series nine wickets behind Shakib. After taking five wickets across both innings in Sylhet, he moved closer to the record. In Mirpur, he matched Shakib by taking four wickets in the first innings. And with his very first strike in the second innings on Saturday, he climbed to the top all by himself.
On Saturday night (Bangladesh time), Shakib congratulated him on social media:
“Congratulations Taijul. I can see you reaching 400 wickets by the end of your career. Best wishes.”
If Taijul takes one more wicket on day five of the Mirpur Test, he will become the first Bangladeshi bowler to reach 250 Test wickets. He is now 33, and Bangladesh are scheduled to play several Test matches over the next two years. He has every chance to turn Shakib’s wish into reality.
Throughout his career, Taijul has quietly done his job away from the spotlight. That perseverance, that constant battle with himself, and his commitment to giving everything for the team—all of it was reflected in captain Najmul Hossain Shanto’s congratulatory message:
“Congratulations Taijul bhai for becoming Bangladesh’s highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. What a historic achievement!”
“You have always tried to give your best for the team, always fulfilled your role perfectly, and carried out every responsibility silently with honesty and pride. I can’t express how proud I am of you, bhai! Keep inspiring us.”
Mushfiqur Rahim, who also made history in this Test, believes Taijul will achieve many more milestones:
“Most wickets in Tests for Bangladesh… Congratulations Taijul! Inshallah, many more to come.”
Litton Kumar Das also joined in, acknowledging Taijul’s remarkable feat:
“Congratulations TJ for becoming Bangladesh’s highest wicket-taker.”
