Shahab Alam is a classical left-arm orthodox spinner who relies on flight, drift, and control rather than raw pace off the pitch. He bowls a tight, disciplined line that has made him one of the more economical bowlers on the Nepali domestic circuit — his NPL career economy rate sits at 6.23 in the T20 format, a strong number for a spinner bowling through the middle overs on generally batting-friendly Kirtipur pitches.

His biggest strength is wicket-taking in clusters: he has produced two separate second-highest-wicket-taker finishes at the Prime Minister Cup (2019 and 2021) and holds the single-innings bowling record in the NPL. He is a genuine lower-order bat rather than an all-rounder — his batting returns across formats are modest, and he is generally used as a specialist bowler who fields competently in the deep.

Alam first drew attention at Under-19 level. He picked up 12 wickets at an average of 10.08 in the 2017 ICC Asia Under-19s World Cup Qualifier, then took 3 for 15 in the final of the 2017 ACC Under-19 Eastern Region against Hong Kong to help Nepal qualify for the 2017 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup. At that Asia Cup, he took two key wickets for 11 runs against India's Under-19 side in a match Nepal went on to win. In 2018, he was signed by Biratnagar Titans in the Pokhara Premier League for a bid of Rs 150,000.

Alam has been a consistent performer in Nepal's national domestic tournaments:

2019 Prime Minister Cup: Finished as the second-highest wicket-taker with 16 wickets in six matches at an average of 8.75.

2019–20 Manmohan Memorial National One-Day Cup: Took 10 wickets in four matches at an average of 9.00.

2020 Gautam Buddha Cup: Played for Team Narayani, taking four wickets at an average of 7.25.

2021 Prime Minister Cup: Again finished as second-highest wicket-taker, with 12 wickets in five matches at an average of 12.66, including a four-wicket haul against Province No. 1 that earned him a Man of the Match award.

He has represented Tribhuwan Army Club since 2023 and has also featured for Rupandehi Challengers in Nepal's provincial National League structure.

Shahab Alam made his T20I debut for Nepal against the Netherlands on 17 April 2021 during the Nepal Tri-Nation Series, taking two wickets across three matches. He was subsequently named in Nepal's squad for a proposed tour of Qatar, which was postponed due to COVID-19. His early international run continued through to a T20I against Kenya on 29 August 2022, after which he dropped out of the national setup for roughly three years.

He was recalled in September 2025 for Nepal's historic three-match T20I series against the West Indies in Sharjah — Nepal's first-ever bilateral series against a Full Member nation, played under the name "Unity Cup" in tribute to lives lost during the September 2025 protests in Nepal. Nepal won the series 2–1, including a record-breaking 90-run win in the second match — the biggest margin of victory by a Full Member team's opponent (an Associate side) over a Full Member in T20I history at that point, and West Indies' lowest-ever T20I total (83) against an Associate nation. Alam played across the series; in the third T20I on 30 September 2025 he bowled 2 overs for 24 runs without a wicket and was dismissed for 0 batting at number 11.

Alam has played for Kathmandu Gorkhas (originally branded Kathmandu Gurkhas) since the NPL's inaugural 2024 season. He was one of 12 Category A players to command the tournament's maximum bid of Rs 1.5 million (15 lakh) at the first NPL auction in October 2024, and has been retained by the franchise in every subsequent auction cycle — for NPL 2025 and again ahead of NPL 2026.

Kathmandu Gorkhas retained Shahab Alam as part of their core group — alongside marquee player and captain Karan KC, Bhim Sharki, and Rashid Khan — ahead of the NPL Season 3 mini-auction held on 6 July 2026 in Kathmandu. NPL 2026 is scheduled to run from 17 November to 13 December 2026 at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.

Shahab Alam has not captained Kathmandu Gorkhas or any franchise side to date; the Gorkhas have been led by marquee player Karan KC across both NPL seasons so far. No verified captaincy record — at franchise, domestic, or international level — currently exists for Alam.

2017 — Stars for Nepal U-19s at the ACC U-19 Asia Cup qualifiers.

2018 — Signed by Biratnagar Titans (Pokhara Premier League) for Rs 150,000.

2019 — 16 wickets at the Prime Minister Cup, second-highest in the tournament.

2020 — Wickets for Team Narayani (Gautam Buddha Cup) and in the Manmohan Memorial Cup.

2021 (Jan) — 12 wickets and a Man of the Match award at the Prime Minister Cup.

2021 (17 Apr) — T20I debut for Nepal vs Netherlands.

2022 (29 Aug) — Last T20I of his first international spell, vs Kenya.

2023 — Joins Tribhuwan Army Club.

2024 (6 Oct) — Bought by Kathmandu Gurkhas for Rs 1.5 million at the inaugural NPL auction.

2024 (Nov–Dec) — NPL Season 1.

2025 — Retained by Kathmandu Gorkhas for NPL Season 2.

2025 (27–30 Sep) — Recalled to Nepal's T20I squad for the historic series win over West Indies.

2025 (4 Dec) — Career-best NPL bowling figures of 6/25 vs Pokhara Avengers.

2026 (6 Jul) — Retained by Kathmandu Gorkhas ahead of the NPL Season 3 auction.

2026 (17 Nov–13 Dec) — Set to feature in NPL Season 3.