Mustafizur Rahman turns 31: A look at his top 5 cricket milestones

Bangladesh pace icon Mustafizur Rahman celebrated his 31st birthday on Sunday (September 6), completing 11 memorable years in international cricket.

Here are some cricketing milestones achieved by the ‘Cutter Master’ of Bangladesh cricket team -

Mustafizur made his international debut in a T20 match against Pakistan on April 24, 2015. He announced his arrival by taking the key wicket of Shahid Afridi before dismissing Mohammad Hafeez. He finished with figures of 2 for 20 in 4 overs, including 16 dot balls, helping Bangladesh beat Pakistan after 16 years.

Making his ODI debut against India on June 18, 2015, Mustafizur removed Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane early on. During the match, Indian captain MS Dhoni shoved him while running between the wickets, forcing Mustafizur off the field for treatment. He returned to dismiss Suresh Raina, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja, finishing with 5 for 50 and earning the Player of the Match award in a Bangladeshi victory.

Following his debut five-wicket haul, Mustafizur took 6 wickets for 43 runs in the second ODI against India. He added 2 more wickets in the third match to finish the series with 13 wickets. His extraordinary bowling performance earned him the Player of the Series award.

Mustafizur went wicketless in his first 13 overs on Test debut against South Africa. However, in his 14th over, he dismissed Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, and Quinton de Kock to claim three wickets in a single over. Despite the match ending in a draw due to rain, he was named Player of the Match.

At the 2016 T20 World Cup, Mustafizur produced a stellar spell of 5 for 22 against New Zealand, bowling out four batters including Kane Williamson. He took 9 wickets in just three matches during the tournament. This performance cemented his reputation as the "Cutter Master" and opened the doors to his Indian Premier League career.

-SA