OTD| Bangladesh’s pace sensation Mustafizur Rahman was born in 1995

Mustafizur Rahman is arguably the greatest bowler ever from Bangladesh. In the recent past, Rahman has not been that good with the ball. But when at his best, Mustafizur was a deadly bowler at the death. The Bangladeshi sensation was good with the new ball and could tame the best batters in the world. Not many batters in the world had an answer to the pace and change ups of this talented pacer.

In his very first year in international cricket, the left-arm pacer impressed everyone with his bowling. The lanky bowler at his prime and young age had the ability to seam the ball and nip it back at his will. Cutters and slower ones were used well by the left-arm pacer. But without a doubt, yorker was his key weapon. It used to be so deadly that even the best finishers in the world had no answer to them.

On his debut, Rahman stunned the cricket world by claiming a fifer against a team like India. Rohit Sharma was the first international wicket of the bowler. In the match, Rahman claimed 5/50 with the ball and helped Bangladesh to win the match by 79 runs. In the second ODI, Rahman stunned the cricket world again as he claimed 6/43 in his 10 overs and helped Bangladesh to win their maiden ODI series against Bangladesh.

After India, South Africa toured Bangladesh. In the first ODI, Rahman claimed 0/15 in his 6 overs. In the second ODI, Mustafizur claimed 3/38 in his 10 overs and helped Bangladesh to win the match by 7 wickets. In the series decider, the pacer claimed 2/24 in his 8 overs and helped Bangladesh to win the match by 9 wickets. It was the first series win of Bangladesh against South Africa.

In the calendar year, Mustafizur claimed 26 wickets in 9 matches at a bowling average of 12.35, at a bowling strike rate of 17.38, at an economy of 4.26. In T20Is, Rahman claimed 2/20 against Pakistan on his debut and helped Bangladesh to win the match by 7 wickets. In 5 T20Is that year, Rahman claimed 6 wickets at a bowling average of 18.67, at a bowling strike rate of 19.50, at an economy of 5.74.

In the T20 World Cup in 2016, Rahman claimed 9 wickets in 3 matches at a bowling average of 9.56, at a bowling strike rate of 8.00, at an economy of 7.17. In the 2019 ODI World Cup, Rahman claimed 20 wickets in 8 matches at a bowling average of 24.20, at a bowling strike rate of 21.65, including two 4-wicket hauls. 

Mustafizur has played 90 matches in ODIs and claimed 148 wickets at a bowling average of 24.71, at a bowling strike rate of 29.20, at an economy of 5.08, including ten 4-wicket hauls and five 5-wicket hauls. In T20Is, Rahman has 103 wickets in 85 matches at a bowling average of 22.27, at a bowling strike rate of 17.63, at an economy of 7.58, including four 4-wicket hauls and a five-wicket haul.