With seven runs needed and only one wicket in hand, Shinepukur Cricket Club stood on the edge of both salvation and relegation in the ongoing Dhaka Premier League (DPL). But what unfolded next was bizarre -- it was an explosion of disbelief, suspicion, and outrage.

At the heart of the storm was Minhajul Abedin Sabbir's bewildering dismissal, a moment that left commentators stunned and caused an uproar on social media. As tensions peaked at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Minhajul charged down the pitch to face Gulshan Cricket Club's Naeem Islam, who responded with a wide delivery. The ball drifted well out of reach -- but Minhajul had ample time to return to safety.

Or so it seemed.

Wicketkeeper Alif Hasan missed his first attempt at stumping. Minhajul had his bat over the crease -- but astonishingly, he never grounded it. In the blink of an eye, Alif tried again. This time, the stumps shattered, and, so did Shinepukur's hopes.

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The reaction was swift. On commentary, the disbelief was audible: "Shocking! I've never seen anything like this." The same sentiment rippled across social media, where Gazi Group cricketer Shamsur Rahman shared the footage with a scathing caption: "Seriously, shame."

Gulshan walked away with a narrow five-run win and a ticket to the Super League. Their record now stands at six wins from ten games, placing them third on the table. Shinepukur, with just one win, now languish at the bottom, staring at relegation.

The match itself was a tense affair. Gulshan, batting first after losing the toss, were bowled out for 178 in 41 overs. Sakib Shahriar top-scored with 38 while Shinepukur's Nion Zaman bagged three wickets. During the chase, Shahriar Sakib's 40 and Shariful Islam's brisk 22 gave Shinepukur hope -- until the controversial stumping turned the tide.

There was also the incident of how Shinepukur's Rahim Ahmed was stumped in the 36th over. He came down the track, got nowhere near the line of the ball, only to see the ball drift away back to the keeper. It seemed as if Rahim never even intended to make contact with the ball. 

Fueling the fire, this incident unfolded on the same day that another DPL outfit Partex Sporting Club's coach, Anwarul Mostakim, accused his own players of deliberately playing negative cricket. The coincidence only deepened public suspicion.

He claimed that some players were playing such negative cricket, going against team decisions, that it raised suspicions. Many, he said, had even expressed their doubts to him, alleging that Partex players might be involved in match-fixing.

"Our officials gave certain instructions. But the players played in a completely different manner. Our officials said, even if the team gets all out for 100 runs, we want to see positive cricket. But instead, they played negatively," he said.

When asked what kind of negative cricket he was referring to, Mostakim said, "By negative, I mean, for example, someone scores 18 runs off 50 balls, or another scores five runs off 40 balls. Our officials didn't accept this kind of performance."

He added, "Many players have been calling me, saying: 'Your player is involved in fixing, this player is doing this, doing that.' I don't have experience with this fixing stuff; I don't know how it's done. But why play such negative cricket then?"

When asked if he suspects any foul play, the Partex coach replied: "It's not just us -- calls are coming in from different places saying this is suspicious behavior, asking why the players in our team are playing like this. This is not how the game is supposed to be played. For instance, while chasing 220 runs, we scored only 37 runs in 20 overs. That's suspicious cricket. However, I can't say anything without proof."