The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has granted veteran batsman Mushfiqur Rahim an extended leave so that he can give his family priority during this critical time. As a result, Mushfiqur will miss Bangladesh’s Super Four match against India on Friday, 15 September in Colombo.
The BCB’s Chairman of Cricket Operations, Jalal Yunus, acknowledged the predicament of the 36-year-old in a statement and said that Mushfiqur’s wife is recovering after giving birth to their second child lately.
“Mushfiqur Rahim has told us that his wife is still recovering (after giving birth), and that he needs to remain by her side and with their kids at this time.
We completely comprehend his predicament and have made the decision to let him miss the game, Jalal Yunus said in a BCB statement.
The departure of the former captain of Bangladesh is a big loss for Bangladesh, who relied on his batting prowess throughout the competition. Mushfiqur has been one of their top run-scorers with 131 runs from four innings at an average of 32.75, including a magnificent 64 against Pakistan. His efforts were significant, putting him third on the team’s list of top run producers, only behind Shanto and Mehidy.
Bangladesh’s performance in the 2023 Asia Cup was forgettable.
This Asia Cup hasn’t been kind to Bangladesh; their sole noteworthy performance was a convincing victory over Afghanistan in the group stage. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Najmul Hossain Shanto both scored century as Bangladesh amassed a daunting total of 334 for 5 on that memorable day.
Also see: Most Runs in the 2023 Asia Cup
However, their remaining three games—two versus Sri Lanka and one to Pakistan—were all sound defeats, and as a result, they were eliminated from the competition after India defeated Sri Lanka.
The victors of the forthcoming match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka on Thursday will face India in the championship match, which is scheduled for Sunday, September 17. Due to their better net run rate, Sri Lanka will guarantee their place in the championship game in the case that the game is abandoned.