Mustafizur Rahman
Mustafizur Rahman – A Talented Bowler From Bangladesh
Mustafizur Rahman is a Bangladeshi professional cricketer and living proof that the South Asian region is a never-ending source of talented players. His unpredictable cutters and masterful bowling in the toughest death overs can mess with and shut down absolutely any top batter on the planet. Right at the start of his career, he pulled off a sensation by becoming the first and only bowler in ODI history to take 11 wickets in his first two debut matches. And that was only the beginning of a sporting journey packed with titles, prestigious awards, and standout achievements.
Mustafizur Rahman: Biography and Sports Career
Mustafizur Rahman was born in southwestern Bangladesh, in the town of Satkhira – a small but important regional centre. Mustafizur is the youngest of six children in the family of Abul Qasem Gazi, a farmer, and Mahmuda Khatun, a homemaker. He grew up as a quiet and modest child in a family that literally lived and breathed cricket. His older brothers were so devoted to the game that they would register teams in local village tournaments at their own expense just for the chance to fight for the main prize. That makes it even more interesting that, in early childhood, Rahman had little interest in cricket and preferred kicking a football around with his friends.
His serious passion for cricket began with watching local matches and playing tape-ball cricket. At first, Mustafizur tried himself out as a batsman under the influence of his father – a passionate fan and a big admirer of Wasim Akram’s game.
“My father used to love seeing Wasim Akram bowl, and also Saeed Anwar and Mohammad Yousuf. I didn’t see much cricket back then, but dad used to wake us up from sleep when the matches started early in the morning,” the athlete recalled with a laugh in an interview with the respected cricket portal ESPNcricinfo.
A new chapter in his life began in 2012, when, at the age of 17, he impressed sports selectors at regional competitions in Satkhira. This success opened the door for him to a training camp for young promising bowlers in the country’s capital, Dhaka.
The very next year, the talented athlete was called up to the Bangladesh U-19 team for the 2014 Youth World Cup in the UAE, where he took 9 wickets in 6 matches at an average of 18.44, and in the game against Canada, with figures of 3/28, he was named Player of the Match.
His brilliant performances in the UAE finally convinced the selectors that Rahman had outgrown youth cricket. In 2015, the athlete made his debut in all three main international formats and immediately backed up his status as an outstanding bowler, especially in ODIs.
In his first ODI match against India, Mustafizur Rahman instantly showed off his huge potential by taking 5 wickets for 50 runs. That brilliant performance earned him the Player of the Match award and helped Bangladesh seal a convincing 79-run victory. Sceptics might have written that success off as ordinary rookie luck, but in the very next game Mustafizur silenced all the critics, picking up another six wickets and becoming the first and only bowler in ODI history to take 11 wickets in his first two debut matches. His career then kept moving forward just as impressively:
- 2016: Indian Premier League winner with Sunrisers Hyderabad; ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year award and Emerging Player of the Tournament award in the IPL;
- 2018: Asia Cup silver medallist with the Bangladesh national team; named in the ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year;
- 2019: Bangladesh national record for the most wickets, 20, in a single ICC Cricket World Cup campaign;
- 2021: named in two world teams of the year at once — the ICC ODI Team of the Year and the ICC T20I Team of the Year;
- 2022: Bangladesh Premier League champion with Comilla Warriors;
- 2024: an individual achievement and one of the best global performances in T20I history – 6 wickets for 10 runs against the United States;
- 2025: named in Wisden’s World T20 XI as the most effective fast bowler on the planet.
Mustafizur Rahman continues to be a key figure in Bangladeshi cricket, although the situation around his club career has recently changed significantly. At the end of 2025, during the IPL auction, Rahman set a record for his country when Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bought him for an impressive 9.20 crore rupees, more than 1,000,000 US dollars. However, in January 2026, due to worsening diplomatic and political tensions between India and Bangladesh, the contract was officially cancelled under a directive from the Governing Council (BCCI). At the moment, the athlete is actively playing for Lahore Qalandars in PSL 2026 and represents the Bangladesh national team in international matches, including the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand.
During his career, Mustafizur Rahman has played in many cricket leagues: the Indian Premier League, the Pakistan Super League, the Bangladesh Premier League, and some English leagues. The athlete played in the following teams:
Bangladesh U-19, Bangladesh, Mohammedan Sporting Club, Khula Division, Mumbai Indians, Rangpur Rangers, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Abahani Limited, Gazi Group Chattogram, Lahore Qalandars, Rajasthan Royals, South Zone, Sussex, Dhaka Dynamites, Rajshahi Kings.
Mustafizur Rahman: Personal Life and Interesting Facts
As for Mustafizur’s personal life, on March 22, 2019, he officially tied the knot. His chosen one was Samia Parvin Shimu. Samia is Mustafizur’s maternal cousin. In December 2024, the couple welcomed a son named Uzayer.
To wrap things up, here are a few curious facts about the athlete and his playing statistics:
- Mustafizur’s main playing nicknames are “The Fizz”, “Cutter Master” and “Musta Magic”;
- In February 2016, Coca-Cola Bangladesh officially announced the athlete as its brand ambassador; the contract was later extended;
- In March 2019, he and his teammates found themselves at the heart of tragic events in Christchurch, New Zealand, when they narrowly avoided being caught in a mosque shooting;
- In the village of Tetulia, where the athlete grew up, electricity was installed and roads were paved with state funding after his first successes;
- Mustafizur has repeatedly admitted that during long overseas tours he misses his mother’s home cooking, especially traditional Bangladeshi fish dishes;
- Rahman is a deeply religious person and regularly thanks Allah in his public statements.
Mustafizur Rahman is a very active cricketer on social media, with more than 10 million followers across all platforms combined: Instagram – @mustafizur_90, Facebook – Mustafizur Rahman (Official.Mustafizur90), X – @Mustafiz90, TikTok – @mustafizur.90.
| Format | Matches | Runs | Bat Avg | Top Score | Balls bowled | Wickets | Bowl Avg | Best Bowl | Catches |
| Test | 15 | 66 | 4.40 | 16 | 2 145 | 31 | 36.74 | 4/37 | 1 |
| ODI | 123 | 179 | 7.45 | 20 | 5 873 | 193 | 26.20 | 6/43 | 20 |
| T20I | 127 | 119 | 5.66 | 15 | 2 748 | 159 | 20.93 | 6/10 | 29 |
| T20s | 328 | 239 | 6.28 | 21 | 7 125 | 419 | 21.01 | 6/10 | 66 |
| List A | 141 | 191 | 6.82 | 20 | 6 745 | 229 | 24.75 | 6/43 | 21 |
| FC | 36 | 149 | 5.73 | 30 | 5 159 | 92 | 26.79 | 5/28 | 5 |
