Bangladesh to Recall Mustafizur from IPL for Vital ODI Series Against New Zealand

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has confirmed that star pacer Mustafizur Rahman will temporarily leave his Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign to represent the national team.

Mustafizur, who made history as the most expensive Bangladeshi player in IPL history after being signed by Kolkata for 9.20 crore rupees, will return home for an eight-day window in April.

The decision comes as Bangladesh prepares to host New Zealand for a limited-overs series consisting of three ODIs and three T20Is. While the IPL spans from March 26 to May 31, Mustafizur will be called back specifically for the ODI leg of the home series.

The primary driver for the recall is the 2027 ODI World Cup. Direct qualification is reserved for the top nine teams in the ICC rankings by February 2027. Bangladesh currently sits in tenth place, making every ODI victory crucial.

BCB’s cricket operations chief, Nazmul Abedin, dismissed concerns regarding the transition from T20s to ODIs, suggesting that Mustafizur’s experience in the high-intensity IPL could actually benefit his performance in the longer format.

Despite the interruption, Mustafizur remains a landmark figure in Bangladesh cricket due to his record-breaking IPL auction price.