IPL 2017: Bangladesh fast-bowler Mustafizur Rahman set to join Sunrisers Hyderabad
What’s the story?
Bangladesh pace sensation Mustafizur Rahman is all set to join Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) before their game against the Mumbai Indians on Wednesday, April 12 at the Wankhede Stadium.
The young man took to social media site, Facebook to announce the same:
The left-arm seamer’s participation in the Indian Premier League came under the scanner as the Bangladesh Cricket Board was not very enthused about his participation in the league owing to his injury-prone body and with the Champions Trophy slated to be held immediately after the IPL, the BCB mulled to withdraw Mustafizur from this year’s season.
The Details
The participation of Mustafizur will be a massive shot in the arm for the defending champions as they have already made a great start to their IPL campaign by winning both their matches so far.
Earlier, head coach Tom Moody was not very sure about the participation of Bangladeshi. He, however, was fairly optimistic about his prospects.
"Mustafizur is more than likely to join the squad in Mumbai," Moody told the media on the eve of their game against the Gujarat Lions on April 8.
Watch: The young sensation's bowling prowess
In case you didn’t know...
The young man played a crucial part in SRH’s title run previous year as he was involved in 16 games, but then broke down immediately after the tournament when he was playing for Sussex and had to undergo a shoulder injury in August.
After being ruled out of the Test series against New Zealand, the young man took time off from the game and made his way back into domestic cricket, where he regained fitness which paved way for his return to the tour of Sri Lanka.
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What's next?
Although SRH will be buoyed by the return of Mustafizur, the fact that Bangladesh are slated to play a tri-series in Ireland which also features New Zealand which begins on May 12, could well mean that his availability for the entire tournament is still under the scanner. SRH's last two leagues games are on May 8 and 13 respectively, while the play-offs begin on May 16.
The final of this year’s IPL is on May 21.
Author's Take
Sunrisers Hyderabad have made a brilliant start to their campaign and the squad looks settled with each player well versed in their roles. However, there are bound to be a few tweaks if Mustafizur is to be included in the playing XI. How will the team then cope with the new composition remains to be seen.
Also, it would quite intriguing if the Bangladesh board pull him out for the Ireland series during the business end of the tournament as it could have a significant impact in the side.
Extra Cover: IPL 2017: Bookmakers tip RCB to win the title