Mustafizur Rahman Biography and Career

Mustafizur Rahman, nicknamed “The Fizz,” is one of the most exciting fast bowlers to come out of Bangladesh. Known for his deadly cutters and calm personality, Mustafizur was born on September 6, 1995, in a small village called Satkhira, located in the Khulna division of Bangladesh. He was the youngest of four brothers. His father, Abul Qasem Gazi, was a big cricket fan, and often made his four sons watch the game on the television.
"My father used to love seeing Wasim Akram bowl, and also Saeed Anwar and Mohammad Yousuf. I didn't see much cricket back then, but dad used to wake us up from sleep when the matches started early in the morning. So I started to play cricket. Actually I played football too in the schoolyard," Mustafizur recalled in a conversation with ESPNCricinfo.
Mustafizur's brothers used to take part in a village cricket tournament in Bangladesh, where the winning prize was a TV. They spent a lot of money hiring good players to try and win. Mustafizur was too young and small to play, so he just watched.
One day, he bowled to a good batsman named Milon, who was impressed. Milon told Mustafizur’s brother that he bowled well and said he’d call him when there were age-group trials. They gave him a trial with a real cricket ball—which he had never seen before. Out of 51 boys, 14 were selected. Mustafizur made it and later played in bigger tournaments.
Mustafizur began his domestic cricket career by representing Khulna Division. He also played for Abahani Limited, one of the top clubs in Bangladesh's Dhaka Premier League. His performances in domestic tournaments caught the attention of national selectors.
Mustafizur made his ODI debut for Bangladesh on June 18, 2015, against India. He took 5 wickets for 50 runs in his debut match. In the next game, he picked up 6 wickets for just 43 runs. Within two matches, he had become a national hero.
He became only the second bowler to take two consecutive five-wicket hauls in his first two ODIs.
He soon became a regular across all formats for Bangladesh. Injuries did interrupt his career from time to time, especially his shoulder and ankle, but whenever he returned, he made an impact.
Mustafizur’s brilliance soon caught the eyes of franchise leagues around the world. His first big break came in 2016 when he was picked by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In his debut season, he was a key player in Hyderabad’s title win. He took 17 wickets and was named the Emerging Player of the Tournament—the first overseas cricketer to win that award.
Since then, he has played for several franchises in the IPL, including Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, and Chennai Super Kings. Outside India, he has also been a part of leagues like the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the Pakistan Super League (PSL), and the Lanka Premier League (LPL).
The bowler has represented Bangladesh in various international tournaments, including the Asia Cup, ICC Cricket World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy. He was named in ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year three times (2015, 2018, 2021) and in the ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year once (2021).

Beyond cricket

Off the field, Mustafizur Rahman mostly leads a private life and is not very media friendly.
In March 2019, he tied the knot with his old neighbour and a psychology student, Samia Parvin. Their marriage was simple and attended by close family and friends. As of recent estimates, his net worth is around $5 million. His income comes mainly from his central contract with the Bangladesh Cricket Board, match fees, and earnings from franchise cricket leagues like the IPL and BPL.
He has also been part of a few brand endorsements in Bangladesh.

Mustafizur Rahman Records
Mustafizur Rahman ODI Records

• Five-wicket hauls in first two ODIs (2015): Took 5/50 on debut against India and followed it with 6/43 in the next match. This made him only the second bowler in ODI history to claim five-wicket hauls in each of his first two ODIs after Zimbabwe seamer Brian Vitori.
• Most wickets by a debutant in a bilateral series (2015): Took 13 wickets against India in his debut series, the most by any bowler in a debut bilateral ODI series.
• Fastest Bangladeshi to 50 and 100 ODI wickets: Reached 50 wickets in 27 matches and 100 wickets in 54 matches, becoming the fastest Bangladeshi to reach these milestones.
• Fourth-highest wicket-taker in 2019 Cricket World Cup: Took 20 wickets in the tournament, the most by a Bangladeshi in a single World Cup edition. 

Mustafizur Rahman Test Records

• Man of the Match on Test debut (2015): Took 4/37 against South Africa in Chattogram, becoming the first Bangladeshi to win Player of the Match awards on both Test and ODI debuts. 

Mustafizur Rahman T20I Records

• Youngest to take a five-wicket haul in T20 World Cup (2016): At age 20, recorded 5/22 against New Zealand in the 2016 T20 World Cup, becoming the youngest to achieve this feat in the tournament.
• Fastest Bangladeshi to 50 and 100 T20I wickets: Achieved 50 wickets in 34 matches and 100 wickets in 72 matches, the quickest among Bangladeshi bowlers.
• Joint-most five-wicket hauls for Bangladesh in T20Is: Has two five-wicket hauls in T20Is, sharing the record with Shakib Al Hasan.

Mustafizur Rahman IPL Records

• First overseas player to win IPL Emerging Player Award (2016): Won the award in his debut season with Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Mustafizur Rahman Other International Records

• First Bangladeshi to win ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year (2016): Recognized for his outstanding performances across formats in his debut year.
• First Bangladeshi to feature in ICC ODI Team of the Year twice: Named in the teams in 2015 and 2016.