Mustafizur Rahman set to make a comeback in ODIs against New Zealand
Bangladeshi speedster Mustafizur Rahman is all set to make an ODI comeback for the national team in the upcoming series against New Zealand. This would be his first appearance in Red and Green after having undergone a shoulder injury in August.
The Bangladesh Cricket selection committee has also named three debutants for the first ODI upcoming series against New Zealand beginning on December 26. Off-spinner Mehedi Hasan, pacer Subhashis Roy, and all-rounder Tanveer Haider has been named in the 15-member squad for the first ODI in Christchurch.
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Mustafizur Rahman has been the biggest find of the Bangladesh bowling attack in recent times, having made a grand entry into the international arena. He took 13 wickets in his first three matches with figures of 5 for 50 in his debut against India and followed it up with a 6 wicket haul in the next match against the same opponent. Though he made his international debut in a T20 game against Pakistan in April 2015, he came to prominence after the series against India.
After a successful spell with the 2016 IPL champions Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rahman was signed by English county side Sussex for the Natwest T20 blast. The southpaw took 4 wickets for 23 runs in his first match against Essex. Unfortunately, it was one of the two matches he played for the county side and he has been out of action since then due to the shoulder injury he suffered.
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Bangladesh probably had the best year in international cricket in 2015, having won ODI series at home against big teams like India, South Africa, and Pakistan. The Asians also impressed everyone by their spirited performance against England earlier this year where they won a Test match and eventually levelled the 2-match series at one a side.
A surprise qualification for the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 was a big step for the Bangladeshis, and it made sure that they are no longer tagged as minnows in the cricketing world. The Asians are all set to tour New Zealand for 3 ODIs, 3 T20 and 2 Tests and would be interesting to see how they approach such a tough opponent in alien conditions. The service of Mustafizur Rahman is going to be more than helpful in the upcoming matches.