Mustafizur Rahman, the ace medium pace bowler of Bangladesh national cricket team will likely to join the team on May 2 when the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) extended his leave up May 1.
Mustafiz, who was approved a leave up to April 30 to play in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings, now has the NOC from BCB up to May 1 and he is expected to back join the team on May 2, just a day before the kick off the five-match T20 series against Zimbabwe.
Mustafiz, who made a brilliant start in the IPL 2024 with taking four wickets in the very first match for his team Chennai Super Kings against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru was adjudged man of the match.
In his second match against the Gujrat Titans, the left-hand bowler claimed two wickets conceding 30 runs in his four overs spell when in the third match he took one wickets, though it was a costly wicket for him with conceding 47 runs, then one wicket against Mumbai Indian and two wickets against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Mustafiz is now jointly second highest wicket taker with Jasprit Bumrah with taking 10 wickets when Yuzvendra Chahal on top with 11 wicket. But Mustafiz played five matches for his 10 wickets when Jasprit Bumrah of Mumbai Indians and Yuzvendra Chahal of Rajasthan Royals played six matches.
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Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director Akram Khan wants pacer Mustafizur Rahman to continue Indian Premier League (IPL) instead of playing the upcoming five-match T20 series against Zimbabwe.
According to Akram, the former national skipper, the IPL will hone Mustafizur's skill more which eventually will benefit Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup.
"I think he will learn a lot from there in IPL because he is playing in a team like CSK, which was boasted with big names. There is player like Mahendra Singh Dhoni and there are a lot of big players. It's a life time experience to share the dressing room with the players like their caliber," Akram said here today.
"The standard of IPL is top class. He has the opportunity to play in different kind of wickets and against different players, which eventually will enhance his skill," he added.
What made Akram happier is the form of Mustafizur Rahman as he looked to have found his rhythm there after struggling to make impact in the Bangladesh national team for the last one year.
"We were worried about his form in the last one year. He has been struggling. But now what we have seen that he has been doing very well in the IPL. It's good news for us. Since he is not playing Test cricket, I think he should continue to play IPL. It will eventually benefit Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup," Akram added.