LAHORE (Kashmir English): Bangladesh faced a setback for its T20I series against Pakistan with fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman missing the upcoming matches after sustaining a thumb injury during his last appearance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
Mustafizur got injured on May 24 while playing for Delhi Capitals against Punjab Kings.
The left-arm pacer was struck on his left thumb while attempting a return catch off Josh Inglis, forcing him to leave the field.
Later, medical scans revealed a clip fracture, ruling him out for at least three weeks.
Delowar Hossain, Bangladesh team physiotherapist, confirmed the setback stating, “Mustafizur sustained a clip fracture on his left thumb during his last IPL match.
He needs time for rest and recovery. A follow-up assessment will be carried out after two weeks to evaluate his progress.”
Fast bowler Khaled Ahmed has replaced Mustafizur as Bangladesh squad has reached Pakistan for the series.
Ahmed has been in strong form in domestic competitions. He took 77 wickets at an average of 21.74 in the 2024–25 season.
He earned a spot in the national side after showing excellent performance in the Bangladesh Premier League, where he claimed 20 wickets at 21.55.
This injury marks the third withdrawal from Bangladesh’s original squad for the T20I series against Pakistan.
Earlier, Nahid Rana withdrew for personal reasons, and Soumya Sarkar was ruled out due to a back injury, with all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz stepping in to replace him.
Bangladesh is starting its T20I campaign against Pakistan on May 28 at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore, followed by matches on May 30 and June 1.
Bangladesh will be hoping to recover from a recent 2-1 loss to the UAE in Sharjah.
T20I Squads
Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub.
Bangladesh: Litton Das (captain), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Zakir Ali, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan (vice-captain), Tanvir Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Shoriful Islam.
