Mustafizur Rahman Profile, Career & Stats

When a bowler demolishes a mighty Indian lineup in his debut series, he becomes an overnight sensation in world cricket. Mustafizur Rahman, the modern-generation Bangladesh pace spearhead, stunned the Indians in his first ODI series, where he clinched 13 wickets in three games, including two fifers in his first two outings. 

The left-arm sensation, hailing from a very small town called Satkhira, came to Dhaka to live his dream of becoming a fast bowler. He burst onto the scene during BCB’s pace foundation and then scouted for the 2014 Under-19 World Cup in the UAE. Rahman started both his first-class and List-A career in 2014 and then got fast-tracked to tour the West Indies with Bangladesh-A. 

Slowly and steadily, the Satkhira-born worked on pace and added variations that led to his maiden national call-up. Post the 2015 World Cup, he was included in the Bangladesh team for a T20I against Pakistan in April 2015, where his first two victims were Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez. Two months later, Rahman’s breakthrough moment came against touring India, where he started his ODI career with a six-wicket haul and followed it up with a five-wicket haul in his second ODI, to become the second bowler in ODI history to pick up two five-fers in his first two matches.

In July 2015, the southpaw got his maiden Test cap to play his first Test against South Africa, where he was awarded the Man of the Match. Rahman’s slower cutters with his left-arm angle earned him an IPL contract from Sunrisers Hyderabad for the 2016 season, and he ended the season with the “Emerging Player Award”. 

Mustafizur was part of Bangladesh’s squad for the 2016 World T20, but due to a slight side strain, the left-armer could only play three T20Is and scalped nine wickets during the course. After the ICC event, he was contracted by Sussex for the English domestic season. In England, the southpaw got his shoulder injured, which sidelined him for six months.

In December 2016, he made a comeback to the international arena and toured New Zealand. For IPL 2018, the Bangladeshi pacer joined the Hyderabad-based club in the latter half of the tournament as he wasn’t 100% fit. In the next season, the Mumbai Indians acquired "Fizz", but the season did not go well for the Bangladeshi international.

In February 2021, the Rajasthan Royals bought Mustafizur Rahman for the 14th edition of the highly anticipated league, and his national board has also given him a green signal to play the competition. Although the pacer has stated that he would skip the IPL if the BCB asks him to play the Test series against Sri Lanka. 

Returning to home conditions in May, Mustafizur played a pivotal role in the ODI series against Sri Lanka. Over three matches, he claimed six wickets at an impressive average of 16.16, with best figures of 3 for 16. His economical bowling, conceding runs at just 3.88 per over, was instrumental in Bangladesh's series victory.

August brought a historic home T20I series against Australia, where Mustafizur's mastery of cutters and slower balls was on full display. In the first T20I, he delivered an exceptional spell, taking 2 wickets for just 16 runs in 4 overs, leading Bangladesh to their maiden T20I victory over Australia. Throughout the series, his miserly economy rate and timely wickets were central to Bangladesh's 4-1 series win.

Continuing their momentum, Bangladesh hosted New Zealand in September for a T20I series, where Mustafizur's bowling was again a highlight. In the first T20I, he recorded figures of 3 for 13, playing a crucial role in dismissing New Zealand for a mere 60 runs, leading to a seven-wicket victory.

Culminating the year, Mustafizur represented Bangladesh in the ICC T20 World Cup in October and November, participating in all seven of the team's matches. He secured eight wickets, with best figures of 4 for 36 against Oman. Despite his efforts, Bangladesh faced challenges in the tournament, but Mustafizur's individual performances stood out as a testament to his skill on the global stage.

To round off the year, Mustafizur was part of Bangladesh’s squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 held in Australia. He played in all five matches of the group stage, collecting three wickets overall. His standout performance came against Zimbabwe, where he delivered figures of 2 for 24 at an economy of 3.75. Across the tournament, his economy rate of 5.60 was one of the most economical among pace bowlers, reaffirming his value in containing runs during the middle and death overs.

In March 2024, Mustafizur Rahman made a notable debut for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). On March 22, during the season opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), he delivered an exceptional performance, claiming 4 wickets for 29 runs in his 4-over spell. His victims included key top-order batsmen: Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Glenn Maxwell.

Mustafizur Rahman featured in Bangladesh’s campaign at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, held in Pakistan. After a decent run in the Champions Trophy, the Bangladeshi seamer was included in Delhi Capitals' squad as a temporary replacement for Jake Fraser-McGurk for a whopping price tag of INR 6 crore.