Delhi Capitals have brought in Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman as a replacement for Australia opener Jake Fraser McGurk ahead of the resumption of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 after a break due to India-Pakistan conflict.
The signing comes soon after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) allowed teams to sign players as temporary replacements for players who would not be able to join the tournament after the resumption. However, unlike normal replacements, these signings would not carry over to the next season and thus teams will not have the option to retain such players.
Rahman, who had been with the Capitals for the 2022 and 2023 season, will come back to the franchise at the price of Rs 6 crore. The Bangladesh pacer known for his variations remains the only overseas player to win the Emerging Player Award, an accolade that he earned during his debut season in 2016. He played a massive role in SunRisers Hyderabad's winning campaign with 16 wickets. He has also played for Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.
Meanwhile, McGurk has decided to not return for the remainder of the season due to personal reasons. DC could suffer another massive blow as left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc's return also seems unlikely and Rahman signing could be seen as an effort to shore up pace bowling resources.
However, as per Cricbuzz, Bangladesh Cricket Board is yet to take a decision on Rahman's departure to India.
"I can't say (whether Mustafiz will join Delhi Capitals)," BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury told Cricbuzz. "He is with the team (flying to UAE), no? We haven't got any decision (joining Delhi Capitals) in this regard yet."
Bangladesh are set to play in UAE in two T20Is on May 17 and 19 before a tour to Pakistan which remains in limbo for now.
DC are currently fifth in the points table with 13 points from 11 matches. After winning four straight games at the start of the season, DC's form has plummeted and they have won just one of their last five games.
