Mustafizur Rahman has helped Bangladesh a lot through his spectacular performances in national colours, ever since making his international debut against India. He has been one of the most economical bowlers in recent times who can bowl well in the death overs and can also pick up quick wickets when needed.
In his ODI debut against India, Rahman took a brilliant five-wicket haul which helped Bangladesh beat India by 79 runs and garnered him the Man of the Match award. He followed this with career-best figures of 43 for 6 which helped Bangladesh win the match and seal a memorable series win over India. He was subsequently named Player of the Series, having taken 13 wickets.
A four-wicket haul on his Test debut against South Africa fetched him the Man of the Match award, thus making him the first player to be adjudged Man of the Match on both Test and ODI debuts. Rahman became only the second Bangladesh player to be included in the ICC Team of the Year after being selected in the ODI Team of the year in 2015.
A couple of days back, Rahman was named ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year ahead of South African speedster Kagiso Rabada. This year, Mustafizur hasn’t been very active on the international circuit due to injuries and has not played for Bangladesh since the World Twenty20 in India.
Even though he has featured only in three ODIs and 10 T20Is between 14th September, 2015 and 20th September, 2016 (the time period based on which the ICC Awards are decided), he has performed consistently throughout, taking a total of 27 wickets at a combined average of 11.74 and a combined economy rate of 5.52.
Let’s take a look at five of the best spells Mustafizur Rahman bowled this year.
#5 19/1 vs Sri Lanka at Mirpur, 2016 Asia Cup
At the Asia Cup held on home soil, Bangladesh began their tournament with a 45-run defeat to India which was compensated by a comprehensive 51-run win against the United Arab Emirates. However, to qualify for the final, Bangladesh needed to win their remaining matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Bangladesh first faced Sri Lanka at Mirpur. Having elected to bat first, Bangladesh ended their innings on 147 for 7 in 20 overs thanks to a brilliant 54-ball knock of 80 by Sabbir Rahman. During their total defence, Mustafizur Rahman was brought in to bowl in the fifth over of the innings and gave only six runs.
He wasn’t called back to bowl until the 14th over when he took the crucial wicket of Thisara Perera. He didn’t take any more wickets during the match but bowled with a lot of versatility with line and length which made scoring runs for the Sri Lankan batsmen difficult.
Bangladesh eventually won the match by 23 runs and Rahman turned out to be the most economical bowler for Bangladesh, conceding only 19 runs in his four overs. However, this would be his last match of the competition as a side strain sidelined him from the team.
#4 18/2 vs Zimbabwe at Khulna, 15th January
Bangladesh played their first T20I of this year against Zimbabwe at Khulna. The visitors won the toss and elected to bat first. Thanks to openers Vusi Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza, who scored 46 and 70 respectively, Zimbabwe put up a total of 163 for 7 in their 20 overs.
However, the total would have been much more had it not been for the brilliant bowling of Mustafizur Rahman who gave away only 18 runs in his four overs and took two wickets.
Mustafizur first came in to bowl in the 5th and 7th overs and was able to prevent Sibanda and Masakadza from piling up too many runs in those overs. He was then called up during the death overs, giving away only five runs in the 17th over. However, his finest hour of the match came when he bowled the 19th over.
In his first ball of the over, he clean bowled Elton Chigumbura with a brilliant yorker before bowling out Luke Jongwe the very next delivery. He couldn’t complete a hat-trick but went on to concede only two runs in that over.
#3 13/2 vs UAE at Mirpur, 2016 Asia Cup
Bangladesh were the hosts of the Asia Cup which was held earlier this year and they began their competition with a disappointing 45-run defeat to India. The Tigers were eager to compensate for this defeat in their second match against the United Arab Emirates.
After being put into bat first, Bangladesh managed to score 133 for the loss of eight wickets in their 20 overs, thanks to Mohammad Mithun’s 47 off 41 deliveries and some late hitting by Mahmudullah who scored an unbeaten 36 off 27 deliveries.
The UAE were never in the run chase as their wickets kept on tumbling down and they were bundled out for 82. Mustafizur Rahman who conceded 40 runs in his four overs against India, redeemed himself with a brilliant spell. After conceding nine runs in his opening over, he bounced back brilliantly to concede only four runs in his next three overs, picking up the wickets of Mohammad Shahzad and Swapnil Patil.
His spell of 13/2 helped Bangladesh register a thumping 51-run victory which not only put them back on track in the tournament but also improved their net run rate.
#2 34/5 vs Zimbabwe at Mirpur, 11th November, 2015
After clinching the series by winning the first two ODIs, Bangladesh were eager to complete a whitewash against the Zimbabweans in the third ODI at Mirpur. Having won the toss, Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza opted to bat first and thanks to scores of 73 each made by openers Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes, Bangladesh put up a total of 276/9 in their 50 overs.
In reply, Zimbabwe started to score quickly but lost three early wickets within the first ten overs, two of which were taken by Mustafizur Rahman. An 80-run partnership between Sean Williams and Elton Chigumbura kept Zimbabwe in the hunt. However, once Sean Williams was out for 64, Zimbabwe started feeling the pressure at 188 for 6.
At this point, Rahman was brought back into the attack and he ended Zimbabwe’s hopes of a consolation win by taking the next three wickets, thus achieving his third five-wicket haul of the year and his ODI career. Zimbabwe went on to lose the match by 61 runs and Bangladesh won the ODI series 3-0.
#1 22/5 vs New Zealand at Kolkata, 2016 ICC World Twenty20
After losing three matches on the trot, Bangladesh were eliminated from the T20 World Cup and had nothing to play except for pride in their final game against a very strong New Zealand team who had already qualified for the semi-finals and were yet to be beaten in the tournament. The venue was Eden Gardens at Kolkata and New Zealand chose to bat first after winning the toss.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson gave a steady start to the Kiwis with a couple of early boundaries. Just when the opening partnership was beginning to mature a little, Mustafizur Rahman was brought into the attack and in his very first over, bowled out Henry Nicholls who was making his T20I debut.
Rahman soon got the prized wicket of Kane Williamson in the 9th over and wasn’t called in to bowl before the 18th over when he got his third wicket of the match by dismissing Grant Elliott. In the final over, he bowled out Mitchell Santner and Nathan McCullum in the fourth and fifth deliveries respectively to become only the second Bangladesh bowler to take a five-wicket haul in T20Is after Elias Sunny in 2012.
He couldn’t complete a hat-trick as he was hit for a six by Mitchell McClenaghan in the final ball of the New Zealand innings.
Nevertheless, Rahman was the pick of the Bangladesh bowlers, taking five wickets for only 22 runs in his four overs and his consistent run-containing and wicket-taking restricted the Kiwis to a total of 145 for the loss of eight wickets on a batting-friendly turf.
However, the Bangladeshi batsmen never stood a chance against the New Zealand bowlers and the Kiwis skittled out Bangladesh for a paltry 70, thus entering the semi-finals of the tournament without a single defeat. Rahman’s spell of 22/5 eventually went on to become the best bowling figures of the tournament.
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