His recent form has been terrific.
Newly-recruited Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Mustafizur Rahman has been in fine form in the competition and has surely put on a case for a spot in the KKR playing XI. He bowled a magnificent spell in the International League T20 (ILT20) 2025/26 fixture between Gulf Giants and Dubai Capitals.
Mustafizur Rahman took three wickets for 34 runs at an economy rate of 8.90 in 3.5 overs with the ball. He dismissed big batters like James Vince (36), Azmatullah Omarzai (46), and Sean Dickson (0) to bundle the Giants on 156 in 19.5 overs.
Whenever any batter had started to look threatening, Mustafizur produced a breakthrough and didn’t allow the opponent to post an above-par total in the first innings. His spell eventually helped Dubai Capitals win the contest, and he won the Player of the Match award for his fabulous bowling show.
Overall, Mustafizur Rahman is the second-leading wicket-taker in ILT20 2025/26, with 14 wickets at an average of 14.71 in seven innings, including a best of 3/34. His form would please KKR, who bought him for a whopping INR 9.20 crore at the IPL 2026 auction.
While the franchise spent a big sum to acquire Mustafizur Rahman at the auction, he is unlikely to be part of the KKR playing XI at the start, assuming all players are fit and available. In the current setup, KKR can only afford to play one of Matheesha Pathirana or Mustafizur, and they will likely opt for the former, at least to start the season with.
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The other overseas players in the setup will be Tim Seifert, Cameron Green, and Sunil Narine, all of whom are absolute must-play options. Hence, Mustafizur Rahman is unlikely to start and will only be included in the KKR playing XI if Pathirana is injured or fails to show improvement from the last season.
That also suggests KKR’s bench strength, with someone like Mustafizur, whose recent form has been brilliant, sitting out. Not only in ILT20 2025/26, but the Bangladesh pacer also bowled brilliantly in the international arena, ending the year with 26 wickets at 17.65 runs apiece in 20 outings.
The Knight Riders won’t mind someone like him keeping the pressure on for a spot in the KKR playing XI, if that helps Pathirana deliver performances right from the start. It’s a welcome dilemma for the Knight Riders ahead of the next season, as they look to put last year’s debacle behind them.
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