Mustafizur makes an IPL splash

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” an elated Mustafizur Rahman yelled at the other end of the line when he was being congratulated for receiving an Indian Premier League (IPL) contract yesterday. Since the player could be reached only by phone as he was shooting a television commercial, it was not possible to witness the 20-year-old's reaction.

However, judging by his voice, Mustafizur was a very happy man yesterday.

Originally in the list with a base price of 50 lakh rupees, he was eventually signed up by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for 1.40 crore rupees (approximately Tk 1.64 crore) after outbidding another franchisee.

“It feels really good to be selected in the Indian Premier League. Honestly speaking I just want to go there, play and show my worth. I am not concerned about the money that I have received. The fact that I have gotten a chance to play in it self is exciting,” Mustafizur told The Daily Star.

“I did not watch much of the IPL games on television. But I am sure I can do well there if I work hard,” he added.

The left-arm pacer became the sixth Bangladeshi cricketer to receive an IPL contract yesterday. Abdur Razzak, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Mohammad Ashraful, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan are the other cricketers who previously received contracts. Of them, Shakib, who plays for the Kolkata Knight Riders, is the only player who has managed to continue playing in the lucrative T20 competition.

Mustafizur had also received a contract in the ongoing Pakistan Super League. He was drafted by the Lahore Qalandars for USD 50,000 in the ongoing Pakistan Super League.

However, the BCB decided against sending him there since he incurred a shoulder injury a few days before the start of the competition. Apart from the injury, it was also learnt that the team management were not keen on exposing Mustafizur before the World Cup.

However, a similar issue with regards to the IPL is not likely to occur. “We are serious about him in the sense that we won't risk him if he has an injury, otherwise there is no issue sending him. I don't think it's possible to hide players in cricket today. Besides, playing in the IPL is a matter of prestige,” said BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon.

Also in the players' draft yesterday were Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar and Taskin Ahmed. However, all of them remained unsold. Mushfiqur and Tamim may not have received IPL contracts but they are busy sweating it out in Dubai at the PSL currently.