Mustafizur cleared to join DC for remaining IPL 2025 league games
Mustafizur has been granted a no-objection certificate only for the period from May 18 to May 24
ESPNcricinfo staff
16-May-2025 • 12 hrs ago
Mustafizur Rahman (left) flew out to Dubai with the rest of Bangladesh's squad on Wednesday • BCB
Mustafizur Rahman has been "granted" a no-objection certificate to link up with Delhi Capitals (DC) for "the period from 18-24 May 2025," the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said in a statement on Friday afternoon.
That makes him available - in Mitchell Starc's absence - for DC's three remaining league-phase games in IPL 2025, but not the playoffs, should DC make it to that stage. The BCB confirmed that Mustafizur would be available for Bangladesh's first T20I against UAE in Sharjah on Saturday before travelling to India. Whether he is ready for action after reaching India on May 18 for DC's game the same evening, however, remains to be seen.
The arrangement between DC and Mustafizur had run into a bit of a snag earlier in the week, with the IPL and the franchise issuing a statement confirming his acquisition but the BCB then stating that it hadn't been approached for a no-objection certificate yet.
On Friday morning, Starc confirmed that he wouldn't be travelling to India for the remainder of IPL 2025, a week after being part of the match that was abandoned in Dharamsala - and will be replayed. Donovan Ferreira, who played one game this season, would also not be returning.
The update means that Starc will have a clear runway into the World Test Championship (WTC) final, avoiding the possibility of playing T20s in India a week before the match. Starc is DC's highest wicket-taker so far in the season with 14 wickets in 11 matches at 26.14.
Faf du Plessis and Tristan Stubbs have confirmed their return, but Stubbs will be available only for the rest of the league phase, after which he would be leaving for the WTC final.