Mustafizur Rahman has signed with Melbourne Renegades to earn his first-ever contract in the Big Bash League. The 31-year-old Bangladesh speedster, known as 'The Fizz', brings a wealth of experience both internationally and domestically, with 271 international games for Bangladesh under his belt.

After filling 16 of their 18 available playing spots, the Renegades have bolstered their pace attack by adding the veteran left-armer. The signing comes at an important time for the club after they lost Jason Behrendorff for the upcoming season after he underwent shoulder surgery.

The BBL's 4th-highest wicket-taker will miss the whole of BBL|16.

Mustafizur Rahman becomes third Bangladesh player to feature in BBL

Mustafizur will form part of Melbourne's overseas contingent after joining Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper-batter) and Michael Bracewell (all-rounder) from New Zealand. But it also provides a major milestone for Bangladeshi cricket as he becomes only the third Bangladeshi to play in the Big Bash League.

Rishad Hossain (Hobart Hurricanes) and former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan (Renegades) are the other two Bangladeshi players to play in the competition.

“I'm extremely excited to play for Melbourne in my first season in the BBL. To be able to play at the iconic MCG is very special and I'm really excited to be playing alongside my teammates and contributing to the club,” Mustafizur said.

Renegades head coach Luke Ronchi said it is great to have a Bangladeshi pace bowler in the squad whose ability to take wickets in the Powerplay and death overs will add to the attack. His variety and experience will provide a key addition.

“Having a bowler in the attack that can take wickets in the Powerplay and the death is exactly what we wanted.

The BBL crowd love a variety bowler, and Mustafizur can do that. Every ball he bowls has a chance to be something special, and our fans are going to love watching him play,” Ronchi said.

Mustafizur Rahman – T20 Records and IPL Career

Mustafizur has become a seasoned campaigner in the T20 franchise environment, having played 331 games in numerous competitions and taken 423 wickets at an impressive strike rate of 16.9. He has been extremely successful in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), taking 121 wickets in nine seasons.

Mustafizur made his debut in the Indian Premier League in 2016, playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad and winning the title in his debut season.

Since making his debut, he has played in eight editions of the competition.

On the international stage, Mustafizur played against Australia in their two-test home series in 2017. He has played 5 group stage games against Australia in the 2022 T20 World Cup.

Mustafizur Rahman misses Renegades opener

Mustafizur showed his wicket-taking prowess against Australia in the ODI series earlier this month. He took 3/27 to help Bangladesh win a commanding 2-0 victory in the three-match series.

His pressure performances showed how valuable he will be in the Renegades' attack.

Unfortunately, Mustafizur will miss Melbourne's opener against Perth Scorchers in Chennai as he is committed to playing for Dubai Capitals in the ILT20. He will join the Renegades once his commitments finish.

Melbourne have brought together a strong squad including: Michael Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jason Behrendorff, Michael Bracewell, Josh Brown, Harry Dixon, Brendan Doggett, Sam Elliott, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Caleb Jewell, Ben Manenti, Ollie Peake, Mustafizur Rahman, Tom Rogers, Callum Stow, Will Sutherland.

The Renegades will be hoping Mustafizur can utilize his experience and variety to bolster their attack and put them in strong contention for this BBL season.