He had rushed from Dubai to Delhi in a hurry. Mustafizur Rahman didn’t even get six hours of rest before having to take the field again. Playing for Delhi, he featured in Sunday night’s match against Gujarat, which they lost by 10 wickets. Mustafizur bowled three overs and gave away 24 runs.
However, Delhi’s hopes of reaching the IPL playoffs are not entirely over yet. If they win both of their remaining group-stage matches, they can reach a maximum of 17 points. If Mumbai loses one of their two remaining matches—especially the upcoming clash against Delhi—their total will be 16 points. This sets up a crucial equation: if Delhi beats Mumbai on Wednesday, their chances of reaching the playoffs will significantly improve.
So far, three teams—Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Punjab Kings—have secured their places in the playoffs. The final spot is now being contested between Mumbai and Delhi. Mustafizur has been granted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to play three more matches. However, if Delhi qualifies for the playoffs, Mustafizur might have to stay longer and play more games.
That said, just winning their last two matches won’t be enough for Delhi. They’ll also have to keep a close eye on Lucknow’s performance. Lucknow still has three matches to play, and if they win all of them, they too will finish with 16 points. A single loss for Lucknow could end their playoff hopes and potentially clear the path for Delhi.
UA / TDS
