Mustafizur Rahman has been granted permission to join the IPL even though one match remains in the series against the United Arab Emirates.
Before the national team’s matches are fully completed, the experienced Bangladeshi pacer will head to India right after the first T20 against UAE on their tour.
In a press release on Friday, BCB announced that Mustafizur has been given a no-objection certificate (NOC) to play in the IPL from May 18 to May 24. Bangladesh’s first T20 against UAE is scheduled for Saturday, May 15, and the second T20 on Monday, May 19.
This means Delhi Capitals will have Mustafizur available for the last three matches of the league stage.
The news of Mustafizur joining an IPL team came as a surprise on the day Bangladesh left for the UAE series. However, with upcoming tours to UAE and Pakistan, doubts had arisen over whether he could play in the Indian franchise league.
BCB director Iftekhar Ahmed told BDNews24.com on Thursday, “Mustafizur will get permission to go to the IPL during the national team’s off time.”
But now the board has allowed the left-arm pacer to leave the national team and join the IPL even while the series is ongoing.
Shahriar Nafis, in charge of cricket operations at BCB, told BDNews24.com, “After discussing with everyone, we decided Mustafizur will play the first match against UAE and then go to the IPL. He has been granted permission until the 24th of May. We agreed to allow Mustafizur to play only the three IPL matches.”
With the revised IPL schedule, Delhi Capitals face Gujarat Titans on Sunday night. Mustafizur can join the franchise immediately after the national team’s match on Saturday. Delhi will also play Mumbai Indians on May 21 and Punjab Kings on May 24.
Currently, led by Axar Patel, Delhi is fifth with 13 points from 11 matches. Winning the remaining three could secure their playoff spot, which may add up to three more matches for the team.
However, there is uncertainty about Mustafizur’s participation in the playoffs. Bangladesh’s tour to Pakistan, which includes five T20s, is scheduled after the UAE series. BCB has already received government clearance for the Pakistan tour, so it’s expected to go ahead.
Nafis said, “If the Pakistan tour is confirmed, Mustafizur will leave the IPL and join the Pakistan tour. No final decision has been made yet. If the Pakistan series is cancelled, then we will reconsider his IPL playoff participation.”
BCB has also clarified that no player or coaching staff will be forced to go to Pakistan. Everyone will have the freedom to decide for themselves. If Mustafizur opts out of the Pakistan tour and Delhi qualifies for the playoffs, his IPL permission may be extended accordingly.
