Who is Mushfiqur Rahim?
Mushfiqur Rahim, born on 9th May 1987, represents Bangladesh as a prominent cricketer. He held the prestigious roles of both captain and vice-captain in the Bangladesh national cricket team. As a crucial member of the team, Rahim plays as a right-handed middle-order batsman and serves as a skilled wicket-keeper, adding depth and proficiency to the Bangladesh Cricket Team.
At the age of 16, while other youngsters were busy planning their next career move, Mushfiqur Rahim had already made history as one of the youngest debutants in the game. Mushfiqur Rahim perfectly embodies the clichéd description of a wicket-keeper as an absolute livewire behind the stumps. Despite his short stature, he exhibits remarkable speed and agility, constantly chuntering away. Notably, he is not just an excellent wicket-keeper but also a brilliant batsman.
In 2005, at just 16 years old, Mushfiqur Rahim embarked on his international cricket journey against England. He was initially picked as an understudy to Khaled Mashud for the tour of England. Making his debut as a specialist batsman in the first Test match, he etched his name in history as the youngest player ever to grace the iconic Lord’s Cricket Stadium.
Throughout his career, Mushfiqur’s batting prowess proved to be incredibly versatile, capable of excelling anywhere in the top order, from positions one to six, as acknowledged by Jamie Siddons, the former coach of Bangladesh. Endearing himself to Bangladeshi fans, he earned the affectionate nickname “Mr Dependable” due to his consistent performances with the bat and his competence as a keeper, particularly for Bangladesh’s spin-dominated attack.
In 2010, he had his moment of fame when he blazed to a quickfire century in a Test against India, becoming the fastest Bangladeshi player to achieve this feat. This was just one of the many milestones he set in his illustrious career.
With over 11,000 runs and 400+ dismissals, Mushfiqur Rahim stands as one of the best run-scorers among wicketkeepers. He holds the distinction of being the highest individual scorer for Bangladesh in Test cricket and is the first and only wicketkeeper-batsman in Test history to achieve two double-hundreds. Furthermore, he remains the sole Bangladeshi batsman to score three double-hundreds in Tests.
Early Life and Career of Mushfiqur Rahim
Mushfiqur Rahim, born on 9 May 1987 in Bogra, Bangladesh, completed his secondary schooling at Bogra Zilla School and pursued history studies at Jahangirnagar University while actively playing cricket. In 2012, he sat for his master’s degree examinations. He tied the knot with Jannatul Kifayet Mondi in 2014, who happens to be the sister of Jannatul Kawsar Mishti, Mahmudullah’s wife. In 2018, Mushfiqur Rahim and his wife welcomed their son, Mayan.
Before joining the national team, Mushfiqur Rahim represented Bangladesh Under-19s in three Youth Tests and 18 Youth One Day Internationals (ODIs) from 2004 to 2006. His batting averages were 31.75 and 36.00 in the respective formats. His training took place at the Bangladesh Institute of Sports.
In February, during the 2006 U-19 Cricket World Cup held in Sri Lanka, Mushfiqur Rahim captained the Bangladesh side, which included future international players like Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal. Notably, he was one of the two players at the tournament with Test-match experience. Under his leadership, Bangladesh reached the quarter-finals of the competition. Following the World Cup, Mushfiqur Rahim earned a recall to the senior Test squad for the first time since the England tour in 2005. For the series against Sri Lanka, he was selected as a specialist batsman, while Khaled Mashud was chosen as the wicket-keeper.
Mushfiqur Rahim’s International Cricket Career
Mushfiqur Rahim consistently made valuable contributions lower down the order with the bat and proved to be a competent keeper for Bangladesh’s spin-heavy attack. His moment of fame arrived in 2010 during a Test against India when he smashed a rapid century, becoming the fastest Bangladeshi to achieve this feat and impressing many with his solid technique. Although Bangladesh couldn’t avoid defeat, the innings brought him into the spotlight, and he gained admiration from the cricketing community. As a matter of fact, Bangladesh looks up to him, along with a few other talented youngsters, to lead them towards progress.
In 2012, the Bangladesh Cricket Board introduced the six-team Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), and Mushfiqur was named the ‘Icon Player’ for Duronto Rajshahi. Under his captaincy, Duronto overcame a slow start and advanced to the semifinals, where they were defeated by Barisal Burners. During that season, Rahim scored 234 runs from 11 matches. In the same year’s Asia Cup, he led Bangladesh to victory in two out of three matches, guiding them to the final for the first time. Unfortunately, they lost to Pakistan in the final. His performances earned him a renewed grade A+ central contract in April.
On 11th March 2013, in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, Rahim made history by becoming the first Bangladeshi to score a double century, surpassing Mohammad Ashraful’s earlier highest score of 190, achieved earlier that day.
On May 8, 2013, Mushfiqur Rahim decided to step down from the captaincy role. However, shortly after, he admitted his mistake, and on July 3, 2013, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced that Rahim would remain as the captain until the end of the year.
Later that year, in October, Rahim had an exceptional home series against New Zealand. In November 2013, under his leadership, Bangladesh managed to draw the first two Tests, won all three ODIs, but lost the solitary T20I match.
During the 2014 Asia Cup, Rahim showcased his batting prowess by scoring his second ODI century against India. Unfortunately, he had to endure an injury during that match. Nonetheless, he continued to play in the following match against Afghanistan, but the hosts were left disappointed as they lost the game by 32 runs.
In August 2014, Bangladesh embarked on a tour to the West Indies but unfortunately, failed to secure a single victory during the series. However, Mushfiqur Rahim proved his mettle by scoring his third Test century, showcasing his value to the team.
Subsequently, in September 2014, it was announced that Mashrafe Mortaza would take over the captaincy in ODIs, while Rahim would continue as the skipper for the longer format of the game.
During the subsequent home series, Rahim showcased his batting skills and became the leading run-scorer in ODIs, accumulating an impressive total of 213 runs in five matches, including two half-centuries. His outstanding performances earned him the well-deserved title of Man of the Series for the tournament.
In the World Cup held in Australia, Rahim had a brilliant run with the bat, amassing 298 runs in six matches. His significant contribution came when he partnered with Mahmudullah in a remarkable 141-run stand against England, which played a crucial role in guiding Bangladesh to the quarterfinals of the tournament for the very first time.
Bangladesh faced their next significant challenge against a touring England team. After losing the ODI series 1-2, the Asian team was determined to perform better in the longest format under Rahim’s captaincy. In the first Test, they narrowly lost by a margin of 22 runs. However, in the second match, they turned the tables and achieved their first-ever Test victory against England, leveling the series 1-1.
Eager to prove themselves away from home, Bangladesh’s most experienced duo—Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim—formed a historic partnership of 359 runs for the fifth wicket. Rahim played a pivotal role, scoring an impressive 159 runs, enabling Bangladesh to amass a mammoth score of 595 runs in that innings.
In the second innings of the Test, when Rahim and Sabbir Rahman were battling to salvage a draw, Rahim suffered a painful blow to the back of his helmet from a bouncer delivered by Tim Southee. As a precautionary measure, he had to leave the field for medical attention. Bangladesh eventually lost the game, and Rahim’s absence also affected their performance in the second Test, resulting in another defeat.
Mushfiqur Rahim’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Journey
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) established the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in 2012 as a T20 tournament to be held in February of that year. Mushfiqur Rahim was designated as the ‘icon player’ for Duronto Rajshahi. Leading the team, Duronto Rajshahi managed to overcome a slow start and reached the semi-finals, where they were defeated by Barisal Burners. Rahim’s individual performance was noteworthy, contributing 234 runs from 11 matches during the tournament.
In January 2013, he joined the squad of Sylhet Royals for the 2012-13 Bangladesh Premier League, selected through the draft. During this tournament, he emerged as the top run-scorer, amassing 440 runs in 13 matches, with an average of 40.40.
In November 2016, Rahim was named in the squad of Barisal Bulls for the 2016–17 Bangladesh Premier League, once again chosen through the draft. He was among the leading run-scorers in that tournament, scoring 341 runs in 12 matches at an average of 37.88, including two half-centuries.
In October 2018, he was part of the Chittagong Vikings squad for the 2018–19 Bangladesh Premier League, selected through the draft. During the tournament, he was the leading run-scorer for the team, accumulating 426 runs in thirteen matches.
In November 2019, Rahim was selected to play for the Khulna Tigers in the 2019–20 Bangladesh Premier League. He was the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament, scoring 491 runs in 14 matches, with an impressive average of 70.14, including four half-centuries. During the 40th match of the tournament, he achieved his career-best knock of an unbeaten 98 runs against Cumilla Warriors.
In November 2022, Rahim was named in the Sylhet Strikers’ squad for the 2022–23 Bangladesh Premier League, selected through the players’ draft. On 10 January 2023, during the 10th match against the Dhaka Dominators, he became the first cricketer to play 100 matches in the Bangladesh Premier League.
Mushfiqur Rahim’s Disciplinary and Retirement Controversies
Mushfiqur Rahim faced criticism after an incident during the eliminator of the Bangabandhu T20 Cup, where he and his teammate Nasum Ahmed both went for the same catch. Fortunately, they avoided a collision, and Rahim managed to take the catch. However, Rahim, who was leading Beximco Dhaka as captain, was visibly upset with his teammate and even threatened to punch him. A video capturing the incident quickly went viral on Twitter.
Following the incident, Mushfiqur Rahim apologized to his teammate, acknowledging his mistake. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) took action and fined Rahim 25% of his match fees, also issuing him one demerit point for his behavior.
On September 4, 2022, Mushfiqur Rahim made an announcement on his official Twitter account, revealing that he would retire from T20Is. He stated that he will now be focusing on One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and Test matches. This decision came just over a month before the scheduled start of the T20 World Cup in Australia.
Some Facts About Mushfiqur Rahim
As a prominent Bangladeshi cricketer, Mushfiqur Rahim holds the grade A+ status under his BCB contract, which ensures he receives a substantial salary. He has been an integral part of the Bangladesh national team since 2005 and currently earns an annual salary of around $56,000. On the club level, he has played for various teams in domestic leagues, where he also receives lucrative compensation. As a result, his net worth is estimated to be around $40 million.
Aside from cricket, Rahim is an avid football fan, supporting FC Barcelona and idolizing football legend Lionel Messi. In domestic cricket, he represents the Rajshahi Division.
Mushfiqur Rahim suffered a left thumb injury while keeping wickets during a match against Gazi Group, causing him considerable pain. Scans after the game revealed fractures in his finger. Fortunately, the injury was not life-threatening, allowing him to remain unfazed and continue playing in the subsequent Test and ODI series against Zimbabwe.
In recognition of his prominence and popularity, Daraz, Bangladesh’s leading e-commerce platform, appointed Mushfiqur Rahim as its brand ambassador. The organization also launched a special online store featuring all of Rahim’s favorite products, providing fans with the opportunity to purchase them.
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