Asia Cup 2023: Mushfiqur Rahim to miss Super Four clash against India
Veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim will miss Bangladesh’s Super Four clash against India on Friday, September 15 in Colombo. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has granted Mushfiqur an extended leave to prioritize his family during this important time.
In a statement Jalal Yunus, the Chairman of Cricket Operations at BCB, acknowledged the 36-year-old’s situation. He revealed that Mushfiqur’s wife is recovering after giving birth to their second child recently.
“Mushfiqur has informed us that his wife is still recovering (after giving birth), and he needs to be by her side and with their children at this time. We fully understand his situation and have decided to permit him to skip the game,” Yunus said in a BCB statement.
The absence of former Bangladesh captain comes as a significant blow to Bangladesh. The Bangls Tigers had been banking on his batting prowess throughout the tournament. Mushfiqur had emerged as one of their leading run-scorers. He smashed 131 runs to his name from four innings at an average of 32.75, including an impressive 64 against Pakistan. His contributions were instrumental, positioning him just behind Shanto and Mehidy on the list of top run-getters for the team.
Forgettable outing for Bangladesh in the Asia Cup 2023
The Asia Cup has not been kind to Bangladesh this time around. Their only notable performance was a dominant win against Afghanistan in the group stage. On that memorable occasion, Bangladesh amassed a formidable total of 334 for 5. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Najmul Hossain Shanto scored fabulous centuries in that game.
However, their campaign has been marred by convincing losses in their other three games. Two against Sri Lanka and once vs Pakistan means they have been knocked after India’s win over Sri Lanka.
The winners of the upcoming Pakistan vs Sri Lanka encounter on Thursday will join India in the final showdown, set to take place on Sunday, September 17. In the event of a game abandonment, Sri Lanka will secure their spot in the final due to their superior net run-rate.
