Mustafizur to miss eight days of IPL

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) cricket operations chairman Nazmul Abedin confirmed that Mustafizur Rahman will be unavailable for eight days during the Indian Premier League (IPL) to play in Bangladesh's ODI series against New Zealand.

Mustafizur, picked by Kolkata Knight Riders, has been granted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the entire IPL but will return to national duty for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand. Bangladesh is keen to win this series to improve its ICC ODI ranking and secure direct qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.

Nazmul stated, "We have given Mustafizur an NOC for the entire IPL. He will only return to play for the national team during the New Zealand ODI series. He will return for eight days to play the ODI series."

He added that the competitive IPL environment could benefit Mustafizur's performance in the ODIs. "The level at which he will be playing and the competitive environment he will be in can also allow him to contribute more after returning."

Regarding the decision, Nazmul acknowledged past risks, referencing Bangladesh's T20 series loss to the UAE after releasing Mustafizur for the IPL previously. "We took a very risky decision… After his IPL performance, the massive change that came in Mustafizur, we benefited from that later. I think we need to take some risks. If we think about the future, about building a good future, we have to take these risks, and they will return positively for us at some point."

In related scheduling news, Bangladesh's upcoming series against Pakistan, comprising two Tests and three ODIs, will be split around the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in March. The ODIs are proposed before the PSL, with the Tests to follow in May.