The foreign pacer who received more than his asking price on December 16th, on December 21st, he turned the game around in just 23 balls. We’re talking about Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman, who wreaked havoc for his team, Dubai Capitals (DC), in the ILT20 match played in Abu Dhabi on December 21st. His devastating spell proved why Kolkata Knight Riders paid him nearly five times more.
Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman in fine form ahead of IPL 2026 season
Mustafizur Rahman had set his base price at Rs 2 crore in the IPL 2026 auction, the amount he had asked for. However, he received Rs 9.20 crore, nearly five times the amount he had asked for. Mustafizur’s bowling specialties are his cutters and variations. He poses a tough challenge for batsmen in the death overs. His current form is also strong. Obviously, acquiring a bowler so packed with talent would not have been easy for KKR. KKR faced stiff competition from CSK. But, in the end, spending nearly five times more money proved fruitful.
Mustafizur’s team, Dubai Capitals, faced the Gulf Giants. In this match, the Gulf Giants batted first, and Mustafizur and his team bowled so well that it became difficult for them to play the full 20 overs.
Mustafizur Rahman was his team’s most successful bowler, despite bowling one ball less than his quota. Mustafizur took 3 wickets for 34 runs in 3.5 overs, or 23 balls. The three batsmen he dismissed included Gulf Giants captain James Vince, Azmatullah Omarzai , and Sean Dickson. Mustafizur’s impressive performance resulted in the Gulf Giants being all out for 156 in 19.5 overs.
Set a target of 157 runs, Dubai Capitals achieved it with four balls to spare, winning the match by six wickets. Dubai Capitals scored 162 runs for four wickets in 19.2 overs. Mustafizur Rahman was named Player of the Match for his outstanding performance.