Shocking incident in BPL 2025-26; Dhaka Capitals' coach passes away tragically

Dhaka Capitals’ coach passed away as the team was warming up for the game against Rajshahi Warriors in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025-26.

Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025 saw tragedy strike before Dhaka Capitals’ game against Rajshahi Warriors on Saturday afternoon. Dhaka’s fast bowling coach Mahbub Ali Zaki, 59, collapsed on the field when the Capitals were warming up for the game.

Once Dhaka’s coach fell, he was given immediate CPR by the medical personnel. Zaki, was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. This news was later confirmed by Debashish Chowdhary, who happens to be the chief physician for Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

BCB put out a statement on X which read:

“Mahbub Ali Zaki’s dedication and invaluable contribution to the development of fast bowling and Bangladesh cricket will be remembered with profound respect and gratitude”

Dhaka Capitals issue statement on passing away of Mahbub Ali Zaki

Once Zaki’s death was confirmed, Dhaka Capitals put out a statement which read:

“We are deeply saddened by this irreparable loss. May his soul rest in peace and heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.”

Meanwhile BCB’s statement went onto add:

“Following his playing career, Mahbub Ali Zaki dedicated himself to coaching and player development. He joined the BCB in 2008 as a High Performance coach and went on to make a significant contribution to the growth of pace bowling in the country through his work.”

The 59-year-old was known to be widely respected in the Bangladeshi cricketing circles. Zaki had infact helped Taskin Ahmed with his bowling action. The 59-year-old had also worked along with left-arm seamer Shoriful Islam who went onto play for Bangladeshi national side.

Mahbub Zaki’s career on the sidelines

Despite not playing top level cricket, Zaki was a highly sought name in the domestic circles. His ability to develop fast bowlers and make them better players was one of the reasons why he was at the forefront of the pace bowling resurgence of Bangladesh. This helped Zaki become the national sports bowling coach for BCB.

Zaki, was also the bowling coach for Bangladesh when the side won the Under-19 World Cup in 2020 held in South Africa. As far as his involvement in BPL is concerned, Zaki was associated with Chittagong Vikings as assistant coach before landing a gig with Dhaka Capitals for BPL 2025 season.

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