He completed his four-over spell despite injury.
In a dramatic moment, pacer Haris Rauf dislocated a finger during his spell in the Melbourne Stars vs Adelaide Strikers match of the Big Bash League (BBL) 2025-26 on December 23. Melbourne Stars captain Marcus Stoinis quickly set it back in place on the field.
The incident happened in the sixth over of the Strikers’ innings. In-form opener Matthew Short powerfully struck a good-length delivery straight back toward the bowler. Rauf instinctively raised his hands to catch the sharp return, but the ball hit his fingers hard and caused him visible pain.
As the ball was fielded at mid-off, Rauf grimaced and looked at his hand. Skipper Stoinis rushed over and popped Rauf’s dislocated finger back in place.
The commentator perfectly captured the moment, “Did Marcus Stoinis just pop his finger back in? That’s what it looked like. And if so, he’s a tough man!”
Watch the video here:
Despite the painful blow, Rauf showed impressive mental strength and continued to bowl. He finished his quota of four overs, taking three wickets and giving away 28 runs. This put the Stars in a strong position.
The Strikers failed to convert a good start into a big total after a middle-order collapse from 110/3 to 141/8. This saw them restricted to a modest 155/8 in their 20 overs, with Short emerging as the top scorer with 56 off 42 balls.
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Rauf has been a key player for the Stars. In Melbourne Stars’ tournament opener, he delivered an inspiring performance, finishing with figures of two for 33 and bowling the most dot balls (11) in the innings, which led the Stars to a dominant victory.
Haris Rauf is now placed in the list of leading wicket-takers of the ongoing BBL 2025-26 season. He has claimed five wickets in two games at an average of 12.20 and an economy rate of 7.62, highlighting his value as an overseas pick for the Stars. Jack Edwards, picked by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at IPL 2026 auction, currently tops the top wicket-takers chart with eight wickets in two games, including a fifer.
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