The first Test match between Bangladesh and the West Indies, which started on October 28, 2026, at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, will not feature veteran cricketer Mushfiqur Rahim. The 38-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, a 106-Test veteran and Bangladesh’s top run scorer in Test cricket, was unable to recover in time for the series opener after suffering a contusion to his right index finger during a nets session at the BCB Academy grounds on Tuesday.
Mushfiqur Rahim has been ruled out of the first Test
Mushfiqur was hurt on Tuesday morning while batting in the nets after a bouncer hit his right index finger. His session had to be cut short, and he left the ground with his finger taped. The team management decided he was not fit to play on Wednesday morning after he felt pain while trying to put on his wicketkeeping gloves.
There was some relief after an X-ray taken on Wednesday revealed that the finger was not torn. The type of injury and the anticipated recovery period were confirmed by Bangladesh team physiotherapist Bayjedul Islam Khan. Towhid Hridoy was added to Bangladesh’s starting lineup for the first Test since Mushfiqur was unavailable. At the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto chose to bat first after winning the toss.
Bayjedul Islam Khan, the physiotherapist for the Bangladeshi team, spoke to the media on Wednesday to explain the severity of Mushfiqur’s finger injury. The X-ray result ruled out a tear, and the injury was categorized as a contusion, which means that rather than requiring prolonged rest or surgery, a brief recovery window is anticipated.
During yesterday’s practice, he hurt his right index finger. He was still being monitored, but by this morning, there had not been enough progress. We anticipate that he will recover in the next three days from this contusion injury. According to Bayjedul Islam, he will be available for the upcoming test.
Mushfiqur is anticipated to recover from the injury in three days, making him eligible to play in the second Test in Sylhet, which is set to start on November 5. Due to an injury, he had also missed Bangladesh’s most recent Test match against the West Indies during the 2024 Caribbean tour, making this his second straight absence against the same opponents.
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In the context of the 2025–2027 World Test Championship cycle, the two-match series is very important. It is one of Bangladesh’s six remaining Test matches in that cycle; the team is presently ranked fourth. Bangladesh needs to win four of their remaining games and draw at least one in order to make it to the WTC final for the first time.
Considering his recent performance, Mushfiqur’s absence from the Mirpur Test is noteworthy. He scored 81 runs in his most recent Test match against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi earlier in October 2026, demonstrating his continued significance to Bangladesh’s top-tier batting lineup.
