Hailing from Bangladesh, Mushfiqur Rahim is quick and furious behind the stumps. He is an equally adept batter who excels at playing pace and spin impressively and has been representing his national team for over two decades. 

Mushfiqur has found himself in action for most of the historic moments. The prolific cricketer was the protagonist during Bangladesh’s win over India in the 2007 World Cup. However, he also had his moments to cherish, when he enjoyed his ‘Naagin Dance’ moves. 

As a 16-year-old, Mushfiqur made his Test debut in 2005 at Lord’s and his maiden ODI appearance in August 2006. He got his first T20I cap in November. Mushfiqur became a straightaway fit in the shorter formats but had to wait till Khaleel Mashud’s last game in 2007. 

In 2007, the batter was included in the World Cup squad, where he had a subdued tournament, despite his most celebrated 56 not out against India. Following the mega-event, he experienced a very lean patch, which led to his being dropped. Mushfiqur made a comeback in the 2008 Asia Cup, held in Pakistan. 

In August 2009, Mushfiqur was named vice-captain of Bangladesh during the tour of Zimbabwe and was also on duty during the home series against India in 2010, where he scored his maiden Test century. Mushfiqur was also part of the 2011 World Cup squad.

In September 2011, Mushfiqur was named the captain for the Zimbabwean tour, and under his captaincy, Bangladesh reached the final of the Asia Cup for the first time during the 2012 edition. In May 2013, he resigned from the leadership position, but a few days later, Mushfiqur acknowledged that it was a huge blunder, and the BCB named him the skipper again. He also led Bangladesh in the Super 10 stage during the 2014 World T20. 

During the 2015 World Cup, Mushfiqur had a prolific tournament Down Under, where he compiled a total of 298 runs in his six outings, including his heroics alongside Mahmudullah when the duo laid a 141-run foundation to beat England for the second consecutive time in World Cup history. 

Next year, during the T20 World Cup held in India, Mushfiqur had a very embarrassing moment when he scored a mere 11 runs against the hosts in Bangalore. Bangladesh were cruising towards victory as Mushfiqur smashed two back-to-back boundaries off Hardik Pandya in the last over, but enjoyed it too soon. He got out when they needed three off three balls, and then the game changed on its head. 

In 2017, Mushfiqur had an exceptional Champions Trophy, where he smacked two fifties in four outings, which led his side to their second latest entry in an ICC knockout game, that too straight in a row. Mushfiqur also had an astonishing World Cup campaign in 2019, when he scored numerous runs, including his unbeaten ton against Australia, as well as two other half-centuries.  

Initially, Mushfiqur Rahim might have been inconsistent at both his batting and glovework, but as his career progressed, he refurbished his skill set. Over the years, he has been playing a vital role in Bangladesh’s success. He has also worked extremely hard behind the stumps to be regarded as one of the best wicketkeepers.  

Under Dhaka's sweltering sun in May, Mushfiqur was nothing short of sublime against Sri Lanka in the ODI series at home. He topped the charts with a blistering 237 runs in three matches. His efforts earned him both the Player of the Match and the Player of the Series awards, playing a pivotal role in Bangladesh’s first-ever bilateral ODI series win over Sri Lanka.

In the golden dust of Harare, Mushfiqur played a vital role in Bangladesh’s tour of Zimbabwe in July. Featuring in the one-off Test, he scored a valuable 66 runs in the first innings, forming a crucial part of the middle-order resistance that eventually helped Bangladesh secure a dominant win. Though he didn’t participate in the limited-overs leg due to injury, his Test performance was a testament to his consistency in challenging overseas conditions.

While the Tigers roared at home in August against Australia, Mushfiqur Rahim was notably absent. He missed the five-match T20I series due to personal reasons and a short fallout with team management regarding bubble fatigue. It was the first T20I series win for Bangladesh over Australia, but one in which Mushfiqur's experienced bat was missing. September rolled in with a different challenge, as New Zealand arrived in Dhaka for a T20I series. Mushfiqur, back in the squad, found the going tough on sluggish pitches. Across four innings, he scored just 39 runs, with a high of 16. While his glove work remained sharp, his form with the bat hinted at fatigue or perhaps the beginning of a shift in priorities.

The year 2022 began with Mushfiqur Rahim joining Bangladesh’s tour of New Zealand in January and February, featuring in both the Test and ODI series. In the landmark first Test at Mount Maunganui, where Bangladesh scripted their maiden Test victory on Kiwi soil, Mushfiqur contributed a gritty 46—his highest of the series. Across both Tests, he tallied 88 runs. In the ODIs that followed, he managed just 27 runs in two innings, finding the going tough against New Zealand's seam-heavy attack.

When the grandest stage of all arrived, Mushfiqur was once again at the heart of Bangladesh’s campaign during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in October-November. One of his most notable efforts came against South Africa, where he struck a composed 64 off 66 balls. While Bangladesh struggled to find consistency in the tournament, Mushfiqur’s experience and composure in high-pressure situations remained a vital component of the squad’s efforts.

In August 2024, during the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, Mushfiqur Rahim delivered an outstanding performance and scored 191 runs. His innings were crucial in propelling Bangladesh to a formidable total of 565, surpassing Pakistan's first innings declaration of 448-6. This significant contribution played a pivotal role in Bangladesh's dominance during the match.

The momentum continued in August 2024, when Bangladesh secured their first-ever Test victory over Pakistan, winning by 10 wickets in Rawalpindi. While spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan were instrumental in dismantling Pakistan's batting lineup, Mushfiqur's earlier 191-run innings laid the foundation for this historic win. Building on this success, Bangladesh achieved a six-wicket victory in the second Test, completing a 2-0 series sweep against Pakistan.

Bringing down the curtain on a golden chapter, Mushfiqur Rahim announced his retirement from ODIs in March 2025, shortly after Bangladesh’s early exit from the ICC Champions Trophy. The tournament proved underwhelming for the veteran, managing just two runs across two matches. Despite the quiet end, his ODI career remains one of the most decorated in Bangladesh’s cricketing history. Over a span of 19 years since his debut in 2006, Mushfiqur featured in 274 ODIs, becoming Bangladesh’s most-capped player in the format. He amassed 7,795 runs at an average of 36.42, which places him second on the country’s all-time ODI run-scorers list, behind only Tamim Iqbal. 

(As of April 2025)