Mushfiqur Rahim Injured Again; Ruled Out Of Sri Lanka Tests

Mushfiqur Rahim injured his right thumb during the recently concluded ODI series against Sri Lanka. (X.com)Mushfiqur Rahim injured his right thumb during the recently concluded ODI series against Sri Lanka. (X.com)

Veteran Bangladeshi batter Mushfiqur Rahim has been sidelined from the upcoming two-match Test series due to a fractured right thumb, as confirmed by a source from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Tuesday, March 19.

The wicket-keeper batter sustained the injury during the second over of the last ODI match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, where Bangladesh emerged victorious in the three-match series. The incident occurred while Rahim was keeping wickets, attempting to gather a delivery behind the stumps bowled by Taskin Ahmed.

Despite the injury, the 36-year-old continued to keep wickets throughout the innings, securing four catches. He also contributed with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 37 runs, including the winning runs for Bangladesh. Following the series triumph, Rahim humorously imitated Angelo Mathews' helmet celebration, garnering attention with the viral video.

The timeline for Rahim's full recovery remains uncertain, with estimates suggesting it could take four to five weeks for him to regain fitness.

Confirming Rahim's injury, BCB chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu informed The Daily Star, saying, 

"Mushfiqur Rahim fractured his right thumb during the third ODI against Sri Lanka. We can confirm he is out of the Test series. We will inform about the details of his injury and the likely replacement in time."

With Rahim ruled out, the selectors are deliberating on his replacement, which will be announced in due course.

The upcoming Test series follows a closely contested T20I series, where the tourists secured a 2-1 victory, and an ODI series, where the hosts clinched a 2-1 win. The first Test is scheduled to commence in Sylhet on March 22, followed by the second Test in Chattogram on March 29.