RR team update: Mustafizur Rahman justifies delay in joining squad for IPL 2021

Bangladesh's left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman will represent the Rajasthan Royals (RR) side in the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League. While the talented bowler is expected to play a major role for the side considering his exploits in white-ball cricket, Sanju Samson and co. will have to take the field without the player in the first two matches of the season. The talented youngster recently revealed the reason for the delay.

RR team update: Mustafizur Rahman provides fans with a justification for his late arrival 

The 25-year-old is currently stationed in New Zealand alongside the Bangladesh contingent. The cricketer is slated to leave for India on Sunday, April 4. Rabeed Imam, Bangladesh Cricket Board’s Senior Manager, Media & Communications in his conversation with InsideSport, confirmed that Rahman is still with the Bangladesh team in New Zealand and has not flown to India after the completion of the three-match T20I series, as he has put his country first over franchise cricket. However, he will not be able to join the squad right after his arrival as he will have to undergo seven days of quarantine as per the SOPs set by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for IPL 2021. 

Mustafizur Rahman has proved his mettle in limited-overs cricket over the years. The left-armer has relied on his variations to outfox the batsmen, and the same approach has reaped dividends for the bowlers in the past. Rahman's unavailability in the first two matches could be a major point of concern for the franchise as their prominent speedster Jofra Archer could also miss the first four matches of RR IPL 2021 schedule due to his finger surgery. 

Jofra Archer injury update 

The ECB recently provided fans with the Jofra Archer injury update through an official statement. As confirmed by the cricket board, a fragment of glass was removed from his middle finger on his right hand in the operation. The lanky pacer will now undergo two weeks of rehabilitation. The cricketer will also be reviewed by a consultant before he resumes his training. The inaugural champions of the IPL believe that Archer will be available from their 5th match onwards.

Mustafizur Rahman IPL 2021

The Bangladesh cricketer last played in the cash-rich league in the 2018 season when he was a part of the Mumbai Indians side. He is all set to make a comeback in the Indian T20 carnival as he was signed by Rajasthan Royals during the IPL 2021 auction earlier this year. The Mustafizur Rahman IPL 2021 salary is set at ₹1 crore. 

RR team for IPL 2021 

Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler, Riyan Parag, Shreyas Gopal, Rahul Tewatia, Mahipal Lomror, Kartik Tyagi, Andrew Tye, Jaydev Unadkat, Mayank Markande, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Anuj Rawat, David Miller, Manan Vohra, Robin Uthappa, Shivam Dube, Chris Morris, Mustafizur Rahman, Chetan Sakariya, KC Cariappa, Liam Livingstone, Kuldip Yadav, Akash Singh.

RR IPL 2021 schedule 

Image source: ICC Twitter