Bangladesh pace spearhead Mustafizur Rahman is set for his first-ever appearance in the International League T20 (ILT20) after signing with defending champions Dubai Capitals. The franchise confirmed the news on Tuesday, August 12, through their official social media handles, revealing that the left-arm quick will replace England pacer Luke Wood in the squad.
This will be the 29-year-old’s maiden stint in the UAE-based tournament, adding another chapter to his illustrious franchise cricket journey.
“𝑰’𝒎 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒂 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒈𝒖𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑫𝒖𝒃𝒂𝒊 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒔,” 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒇𝒊𝒛𝒖𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒒𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈.
Experienced T20 Campaigner Joins Star-Studded Squad
A seasoned campaigner in the T20 circuit, Mustafizur has already left his mark in the IPL, LPL, PSL, and England’s Vitality Blast. The fourth edition of the ILT20, overseen by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), is scheduled from December 2 to January 4, featuring six competitive teams.
However, the dates overlap with the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), raising uncertainty over whether the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will issue him a No Objection Certificate (NOC).
The Dubai Capitals have assembled a formidable line-up with the additions of all-rounders Gulbadin Naib and Dasun Shanaka, fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera, and West Indies stars Rovman Powell and Shai Hope.
Mustafizur’s T20 record speaks for itself—362 wickets in 289 matches at an average of 21.49 and an economy of 7.45, including six four-wicket hauls and four five-wicket hauls.
IPL Journey and Future Prospects
Earlier in the 2025 IPL season, the Bangladeshi pacer was picked up by Delhi Capitals for INR 6 crore as a replacement for Jake Fraser-McGurk. He featured in three matches, claiming four wickets, with a standout performance of 3/33.
With this ILT20 signing, Mustafizur will now have represented teams in six different overseas franchise leagues. His IPL career has seen him don the jerseys of Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals, and Delhi Capitals.
Looking ahead, the upcoming IPL auction will be a mini-auction, where most franchises are expected to retain their core squads. However, under the new replacement rules, Delhi Capitals cannot directly retain Mustafizur and must bid for him again if they want him back.
“𝑾𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒇𝒊𝒛𝒖𝒓’𝒔 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒅𝒅 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕,” 𝒂 𝑫𝒖𝒃𝒂𝒊 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅.
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