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Delhi Capitals announced Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman as Jake Fraser-McGurk's replacement for the last leg of IPL 2025, who withdrew from the tournament citing personal reasons. Delhi Capitals secured Mustafizur's services for a sum of Rs 6 crore, a relatively high amount for a replacement player, particularly one who is not expected to feature in more than six matches.
However, the situation took an unexpected turn within a few hours when Mustafizur shared a photograph indicating his travel to the UAE for a two-match series scheduled to conclude on May 19, just two days after the IPL's resumption.
The unfolding drama continued as Nizamuddin Chowdhury, the CEO of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), stated that neither the IPL nor the Delhi Capitals management had contacted them regarding a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the player. He further mentioned that the pacer himself had also not informed the BCB about this development.
“Mustafizur is supposed to go with the team to the UAE according to the schedule. We have not received any communication from IPL officials. I have also not received any such official communication from Mustafizur either,” Chowdhury told ESPNcricinfo on May 14.
Mustafizur Rahman is a member of the Bangladesh T20 International squad scheduled to play consecutive away T20I series against both the UAE and Pakistan. Notably, the dates for these international series directly overlap with the ongoing Indian Premier League. Bangladesh is slated to play two T20Is in the UAE on May 17 and 19, followed by a five-match T20I series in Pakistan on May 25, 27, 30, and June 1 and June 3. This scheduling conflict means Mustafizur's availability for the IPL is limited, especially considering the Delhi Capitals are scheduled to play their final three league matches on May 18th, 21st, and 24th, with potential playoff matches to follow should they qualify.
As of now, the Delhi Capitals have not issued any official statement regarding this development. The primary intention behind signing Mustafizur Rahman was reportedly to serve as a replacement for Mitchell Starc, who is widely expected to miss the IPL playoffs, and potentially the entire final phase of the tournament. Moreover, the availability of Faf du Plessis and Tristan Stubbs is also uncertain. Stubbs has been selected for the World Test Championship (WTC) final squad, and South Africa's head coach, Shukri Conrad, had initially indicated that No Objection Certificates (NOCs) would not be granted after May 25th.
However, since that initial statement, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) authorities and Delhi Capitals franchise have been in ongoing communication with Cricket South Africa. While no official confirmation has been made, there is a possibility that South African players might be granted permission to participate, especially considering that six Indian franchises have ownership stakes in the SA20 league in South Africa.
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