Bangladesh Pacer Mustafizur Ruled Out Pakistan T20Is With Thumb Injury

Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against Pakistan due to a clip fracture on his left thumb sustained during his last Indian Premier League match. The injury requires two to three weeks of rest and rehabilitation, with a follow-up evaluation planned after two weeks to monitor his recovery. Mustafizur's absence marks him as the third player unavailable for the series, following Nahid Rana's personal withdrawal and Soumya Sarkar's back injury. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has named fast bowler Khaled Ahmed as Mustafizur's replacement, highlighting Khaled's strong 2024-25 season performance with 77 wickets at an average of 21.74 across all formats. Bangladesh is scheduled to play a three-match T20I series in Lahore from May 28 to June 1, after recently losing a series 2-1 to the UAE in Sharjah. The injury and squad changes could impact Bangladesh's bowling strength for the Pakistan tour.