SAMSUL AREFIN KHAN

Left-arm spinner Abu Hasim has turned heads with his disciplined bowling in the ongoing National Cricket League (NCL) T20, which concludes today with holders Rangpur Division facing Khulna Division in the final at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

In a tournament dominated by familiar names, Hasim has emerged as a rare fresh find. Alongside unheralded performers like Mohammad Rubel (10 wickets in eight matches) of Chattogram and Khulna’s Sheikh Parvez Jibon (10 in six), the 28-year-old has taken 11 wickets in eight matches -- the second-highest tally so far behind Chattogram’s Hasan Murad (14 in eight) -- while maintaining an economy of just 4.74 despite bowling mostly in batter-dominated Powerplay overs.

Hasim’s rise has been far from easy. Hailing from Thakurgaon, outside Bangladesh’s mainstream cricket hubs, he never featured in age-level cricket. His career took shape only after a fellow Thakurgaon cricketer Ehsanul Haque Lipu spotted his talent during a practice session and brought him to Dhaka for a trial to play in the First Division Cricket League in 2015.

“It is extremely challenging for a player from Thakurgaon to reach this level,” Hasim told The Daily Star yesterday.

“I started out as an economical bowler, but over the years I worked on my variations and began taking wickets consistently. After eight years in the First Division, I finally got picked by Rupganj Tigers in the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) two years ago,” added Hasim, whose bowling has been a key factor behind Rangpur’s second consecutive appearance in the competition’s final. His current NCL form continues his steady rise. In the last Dhaka Premier League (DPL) season, he took 18 wickets in 14 matches for Gazi Group Cricketers at a miserly economy of 4.26. “After my DPL performance, I set a goal to do well here so I could get a chance in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL)… and hopefully, that effort will pay off.”