Mustafizur Rahman's Resurgence: A Detailed Analysis

By CricGPT

Mustafizur Rahman, the left-arm pacer who burst onto the international scene in 2015, has faced a decline in form in recent years. However, his recent performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) have raised questions about whether he is regaining his former glory.

Decline in Form

Since 2022, Mustafizur has struggled to maintain his previous level of performance. In ODIs, he has taken 37 wickets in 21 matches, while in T20Is, he has claimed 21 wickets in 16 matches. This is a significant drop from his earlier wicket-taking prowess.

During this period, Shoriful Islam and Taskin Ahmed have emerged as the leading wicket-takers among Bangladeshi pacers in ODIs and T20Is, respectively. Mustafizur's failure to produce consistent match-winning performances has put his place in the national team under scrutiny.

IPL Resurgence

Mustafizur's inclusion in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squad for the ongoing IPL raised eyebrows, given his recent form. However, he has seized the opportunity, taking four wickets on his CSK debut.

Former Bangladesh pace bowling coach Allan Donald, who worked with Mustafizur until the last World Cup, believes that the pacer has regained his confidence in his stock deliveries.

"I think watching Mustafizur, he got his confidence in his stock deliveries now. I mean his pace on deliveries not just his variations that he is so good at. I think Mustafizur's rhythm looks better than ever. He looks very well balanced and infact one thing that stands out is he looks fresh and he is enjoying his cricket," said Donald.

Technical Adjustments

Donald believes that Mustafizur has made technical adjustments to his bowling, which have contributed to his improved form.

"He was low in confidence in his stock deliveries and that is swinging the ball into the right-handers and away from the left-handers. Confidence to actually swing the ball away from right-handers and back into the left-handers at will. That's the first sign I am looking for and I think a lot of people default into a slower ball or off-pace deliveries because they are not sure about how it's coming out and when there is suppose to be pace on if you understand what I am saying," he said.

"When Mustafizur is bowling well and he is bowling at good pace he is swinging the ball late. He started to show in the World Cup little bit not consistently but it was definitely happening certainly at training and that was the first sign when I said Fizz is looking a lot better and that slower ball is just you know as I said he is just so in control of it right now and he is bowling beautifully. I think he look he looks happy he is confident and he is their (CSK's) banker at the moment and it's great to see," he added.

Conclusion

Mustafizur Rahman's recent performances in the IPL have raised hopes that he is returning to his best form. While it remains to be seen whether he can sustain this level of performance, his resurgence is a positive sign for Bangladesh cricket.

If Mustafizur can continue to bowl with pace and accuracy, he will be a valuable asset to the national team in the upcoming World Cup in USA and West Indies.