Mustafizur Rahman is a Bangladeshi international cricketer. He bowls left-arm fast-medium. He has taken more wickets in the death overs of T20 Internationals than any other bowler. His rise began in the 2015 Bangladesh Premier League, where his frequent use of cutters and slower balls earned him the nickname “The Fizz.”
Mustafizur was named in the ICC ODI Team of the Year in 2015, becoming the first Bangladeshi cricketer to achieve this and only the second Bangladeshi to be selected in any ICC team. He was again selected in the ICC ODI Team of the Year in 2018, making him the first Bangladeshi to earn this honor twice, and he was also included in 2021.
Mustafizur Rahman Records and Achievements
Mustafizur Rahman became only the second and third Bangladeshi bowler to bowl 1,000 dot balls in T20 Internationals. He won the ESPNcricinfo Award for the Best T20 Performance of the Year in 2016 for his first-ever five-wicket haul in T20Is against New Zealand during the World T20.
In 2015, Mustafizur was awarded the Best Athlete of the Year by the Bangladesh Sports Press Association. He also made history in the IPL by becoming the first and, so far, only foreign cricketer to win the IPL Emerging Player of the Year award in 2016.
Mustafizur is the fastest Bangladeshi bowler to take 50 ODI wickets, achieving the feat in just 27 matches. He is also the fastest Bangladeshi and the fourth fastest bowler overall to reach 100 ODI wickets, doing so in 54 matches.
Mustafizur Rahman Career Stats
In Test cricket, Mustafizur Rahman has played 15 matches and taken 31 wickets. His best bowling figures in an innings are 4 for 37. He has taken two four-wicket hauls. With the bat, he has scored 66 runs in 15 matches.
In One Day Internationals, he has played 116 matches and picked up 177 wickets. His best bowling performance in ODIs is 6 for 43. He has taken six four-wicket hauls and five five-wicket hauls. In batting, he has scored 172 runs in 116 matches.
In T20 Internationals, Mustafizur has featured in 126 matches and taken 158 wickets. His best bowling figures are 6 for 10. He has taken three four-wicket hauls and two five-wicket hauls in the format. With the bat, he has scored 112 runs in 126 matches.
| Bowling | ||||||
| Format | Mat | Wkts | BBI | 4w | 5w | 10w |
| Tests | 15 | 31 | 4/37 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| ODIs | 116 | 177 | 6/43 | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| T20Is | 126 | 158 | 6/10 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Batting | ||||||
| Format | Mat | Runs | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s |
| Tests | 15 | 66 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| ODIs | 116 | 172 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| T20Is | 126 | 112 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 |
Mustafizur Rahman’s Personal Life
Mustafizur Rahman grew up in a quiet household in rural Bangladesh. He was the youngest child in his family and had three older brothers. As a child, he was calm and did not trouble his parents. He was naturally left-handed in everything. His mother once tried to correct his habit of eating with his left hand. After that, he stopped eating left-handed, but everything else, including bowling, remained left-handed.
He does not believe he would have been the same bowler if he had changed his bowling arm. He accepts that luck played a role in his early success. His first international wicket, Shahid Afridi, came without him fully realizing what had happened until the appeal was made.
He remembers an incident with Virat Kohli, who once asked him why he bowled so slowly after hitting him for boundaries. Mustafizur did not reply. He believes both batter and bowler should simply do their own job.
His father, Abul Qasem Gazi, admired Wasim Akram, Saeed Anwar, and Mohammad Yousuf and used to wake his sons early to watch matches. Mustafizur played both cricket and football as a child. He started cricket with a tennis ball and was mainly a batsman who could stay at the crease but could not hit big shots.
Mustafizur Rahman Contract
Mustafizur Rahman was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹9.20 crore at the IPL auction. However, his contract was later cancelled after a mandate from the BCCI. The decision was not linked to injury or performance but was described as being due to “developments all around.” As per reports, Mustafizur is unlikely to receive any financial compensation from KKR.
FAQs
Q. Why did BCCI release Mustafizur Rahman?
A. BCCI instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman ahead of IPL 2026 due to heightened political tensions and protests linked to unrest in Bangladesh.
Q. Why is Mustafizur called “Fizz”?
A. Mustafizur Rahman is called “The Fizz” because of his wide range of bowling variations, especially his slower off-cutters.
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