Mustafizur Rahman was at his best on Thursday as he led Bangladesh to a 2-1 ODI series win over New Zealand. With the series level at 1-1, he posted winning figures of 9-2-43-5 as the Tigers secured a 55-run victory at the Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium in Chattogram.
At this stage, Mustafizur was expected to feature in the IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders after being bought for Rs 9.20 crore in last season’s mini auction. However, he was later released on a BCCI directivewhich eventually led to Bangladesh withdrawing from the Men’s Under-20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
On 23 April, Mustafizur Rahman tore through the Black Caps and helped Bangladesh bowl them out for 210 while defending 265. In the process, he equaled Wasim Akram on the list of most five-wicket hauls by left-arm pacers in ODIs. Mustafizur, Akram and Trent Boult are now joint second with six such catches each. Mitchell Starc leads the charts with nine from 130 matches.
MOST FIVE WICKETS TAKEN BY LEFT PACERS IN ODIS
- Mitchell Starc (Australia) – 9 from 130 matches
- Trent Boult (New Zealand) – 6 from 114 matches
- Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh) – 6 from 120 matches
- Wasim Akram (Pakistan) – 6 from 356 matches
MUSTAFIZUR DISMANTLES NEW ZEALAND
Relying on tight lines and fine seam movement from the outset, Mustafizur struck early by dismissing Henry Nicholls with a crisp short delivery that produced a top edge. His exceptional use of slower balls and cutters stood out throughout the spell.
Mustafizur consistently deceived batsmen like Nick Kelly and Dean Foxcroft, changing pace and length to disrupt their rhythm. The dismissal of a well-set Kelly underlined his cricketing intelligence, he picked up movement across the crease and responded with a wider, slower delivery that forced a mistimed strike.
He tightened the screws further in the middle overs, mixing yorkers with cutters and back deliveries that tightened the surface. His magic culminated in the death runs, combining accuracy with composure to remove key batsmen like Nathan Smith and Jayden Lennox.
The highlight was his fifth wicket, clean bowling William O’Rourke with a full, straight delivery. Despite conceding a couple of late sixes, Mustafizur had already done enough damage to put Bangladesh firmly in charge.
– The end
Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
23 Apr 2026 21:34 IST
