Mushfiqur Rahim is a Bangladeshi cricketer who was born in Bogra, Bangladesh, on June 9, 1987. He is a right-handed middle order batsman and wicketkeeper.
Background
Rahim began his career as a member of Bangladesh’s U19 team, which participated in both youth ODIs and tests. He also captained Bangladesh’s U19 team at the 2006 ICC U19 World Cup, which included Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal. His captaincy lead Bangladesh to the tournament’s quarterfinals.
Debut
Rahim made his international debut in his late teens at Lord’s on May 26, 2005, when he was part of Bangladesh’s first-ever tour of England. With Khaled Mashud as the previous wicketkeeper, he was chosen as a specialist batsman. He had a 19-run first inning but was forced to play the remainder of the series due to an ankle injury. On August 6, 2006, he made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in Harare, where he scored his first half-century. His excellent results secured him a spot in the squad not only as a batsman but also as a wicket keeper.
Later that year, on November 28, 2006, Rahim made his T20 international debut against Zimbabwe at Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium.
Rise to Glory
Rahim and then-Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful had a 191-run sixth-wicket partnership against Sri Lanka in 2007.
He was appointed Bangladesh’s vice-captain after scoring a few fifties. His flexible and consistent batting ability helped him establish himself as a regular member of the Bangladesh team, as well as the number one wicket-keeper choice.
Low Points
Bangladesh visited Pakistan for an ODI series after the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, and Rahim was replaced by Dhiman Ghosh. Rahim was good against Asian teams, but he failed against South Africa and England.
Club Career
Rahim was named the ‘icon player’ for Duronto Rajshahi in the Bangladesh Premier League in 2012. His side advanced to the semi-finals. In that game, he scored 234 runs in 11 matches.
Captaincy
During the West Indies tour in 2011, Rahim was appointed captain of the Bangladesh cricket team. In his first match as captain, he was appointed Man of the Match. For his side, he won the T20 series but lost the ODIs. His central contract continued to improve, going from B to A and then to A+. Mushfiqur was replaced as captain by Mashrafe Mortaza in 2014.
Records
In 2017, Rahim became the first Bangladeshi wicketkeeper to mark 100 dismissals. He was also the first Bangladeshi cricketer to score a century against South Africa in any format in the same year.