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The ODI World Cup 2023 has turned out to be an amazing event for cricket enthusiasts, offering both thrilling and unexpected moments. The stage was once again set for yet another intense showdown in the tournament as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka went head-to-head against each other at the Aruj Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Monday (November 6).
Although the excitement among fans was soaring high, a cloud of disappointment loomed over this encounter as the news of Bangladesh’s star pacer Mustafizur Rahman being sidelined from the line-up of Tigers spread like wildfire.
The surprising news of Mustafizur Rahman’s exclusion
The stage was perfectly set for both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to make a statement after an average tournament, and the cricketing world eagerly awaited this match between two Asian giants to see how these two teams would fare against each other. However, during the toss, the shocking revelation came that star Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur would not be taking the field.
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Reason behind Mustafizur missing out on the game against Sri Lanka
The news of Mustafizur’s exclusion from the playing XI was delivered by Bangladesh’s captain, Shakib Al Hasan. The Bangladesh skipper disclosed that the 28-year-old cricketer was not fit to play in this crucial match and has hence been rested.
Shakib further elaborated that Tanzim Hasan Sakib had been drafted into the playing XI to fill the void left by the injured pacer.
“We would field first, it looks like a very good surface. There was a lot of dew when we practiced. There are a lot of expectations, but we couldn’t fulfill them. We have two more games, and we would like to do well. We have to be technically sound and also mentally sound. We have one change – Mustafiz is not fit enough, and Tanzim Shakib comes in his place,” said Shakib in his statement during the toss.
It is worth mentioning that Mustafizur is widely known for his deadly variations and ability to swing the ball both ways and has been a vital component of Bangladesh’s bowling attack. His absence in such a crucial game could certainly impact Bangladesh’s performance.
