Move Over Bumrah And Shaheen; Mustafizur Rahman Deserves More Hype In T20Is

Akshita Patel

Mustafizur Rahman is  underrated in T20Is [Source: @Mustafiz90, @CallMeSheri1_, @T20WorldCup/X.com]Mustafizur Rahman is  underrated in T20Is [Source: @Mustafiz90, @CallMeSheri1_, @T20WorldCup/X.com]

When people talk about the best fast bowlers in T20 cricket, the same names often come up: Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Starc, or Shaheen Afridi. But in the middle of all the noise, one man has quietly been doing the job better than almost anyone else: Mustafizur Rahman.

Bumrah, Starc and Afridi are widely renowned as the best fast bowlers of the modern-day generation. Their consistency and success rate across 3 formats of the game are unmatched and remarkable.

However, in the T20I format, Mustafizur Rahman often gets overshadowed, as he receives way less hype than what he truly deserves. In the wake of the Asia Cup 2025, let's analyse why the left-arm speedster deserves more hype.

Mustafizur Rahman Has Aced T20Is Better Than Bumrah, Starc

Stats
Mustafizur Rahman
Jasprit Bumrah
Mitchell Starc
Shaheen Afridi
Innings3812741
Wickets4922653
Average18.699.5434.6621.77
Economy6.664.708.668.00
BBI6/103/72/204/30

(Fizz vs Bumrah, Starc and Shaheen in T20Is since 2023)

Since 2023, Mustafizur Rahman has taken 49 wickets in T20Is for Bangladesh at an astounding economy rate of just 6.66. To put it simply, no fast bowler from a Test-playing nation has more wickets at a better economy in this period. That’s not just good; that’s world-class.

Jasprit Bumrah, India’s spearhead, has picked 22 wickets in this period with an economy rate of 9.64. While Shaheen Afridi has claimed the highest number of wickets (53), his economy was as high as 8.00.

That being said, what makes Rahman even more special is his ability to perform in every phase of the innings. Usually, bowlers are known for being effective in a specific role.

Bumrah is a death-overs king. Starc is feared with the new ball. Shaheen swings it dangerously up front. But Mustafizur? He has done it everywhere.

  • Powerplay: 8 wickets at an economy of 6.67. He keeps it tight and often strikes early.
  • Middle overs: 20 wickets at just 6.33. This is the phase where many bowlers go for runs, but Mustafizur chokes the batters.
  • Death overs: 21 wickets at 7.16. Even at the toughest stage, he has been calm, mixing cutters and yorkers brilliantly.

This kind of versatility is rare in T20 cricket. Teams usually look for two or three specialists to cover different phases, but Bangladesh have one man who can handle them all.

Mustafizur Rahman Will Carry Bangladesh’s Hopes In Asia Cup 2025 Match vs Sri Lanka

Meanwhile, Bangladesh is all set to compete against Sri Lanka in the first match of the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four stage. Mustafizur Rahman will be spearheading his team’s bowling attack, given his past record and recent form.

Against Sri Lanka, he has claimed 20 wickets in 16 T20Is with an 8.44 economy. In 2025, he succeeded in taking 14 wickets in 10 games with a sensational economy of 5.25. Moreover, in the most recent Asia Cup 2025 game against Afghanistan, Rahman claimed a 3-wicket-haul.

Overall, Mustafizur Rahman will back his clever use of cutters, variations, and accuracy against Sri Lanka, which makes him a big threat in UAE conditions.

On slower pitches in Dubai, his deceptive pace and ability to grip the ball trouble batters. His versatility across powerplay, middle, and death overs gives Bangladesh a major edge against Sri Lanka.