As the anticipation builds for the resumption of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), the Delhi Capitals (DC) have announced a significant squad change. Bangladesh’s left-arm pace sensation, Mustafizur Rahman, has been roped in to replace Australian batter Jake Fraser-McGurk, who has opted out of the remainder of the tournament citing personal reasons.
The Axar Patel-led Delhi franchise confirmed the development in an official statement today. This marks a second stint for the “Fizz” with the Capitals, having previously represented them in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
While the availability of several Australian players remains uncertain due to the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final, Fraser-McGurk, who is not part of the Test squad, has made himself unavailable for the rest of the IPL.
The IPL revealed that DC secured Mustafizur’s services for a substantial sum of Rs 6 crore. Questions remain about whether the Capitals will be permitted to retain him for the next season, considering the signing comes ahead of their 12th league game, or if he is considered a temporary replacement.
This signing of another left-arm pacer by DC has also fueled speculation regarding the potential return of veteran Australian speedster Mitchell Starc, with doubts now looming over his comeback to the squad.
Mustafizur Rahman brings a wealth of IPL experience to the Delhi Capitals. The 29-year-old has featured in 57 IPL matches, bagging 61 wickets across stints with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Mumbai Indians (MI), Rajasthan Royals (RR), and Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Notably, he played a pivotal role in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s title-winning campaign in 2016, where he scalped 17 wickets in 16 games with an impressive economy rate of 6.90. He was part of the Chennai Super Kings squad in the 2024 season.
Meanwhile, Jake Fraser-McGurk, who was re-signed by DC using the Right to Match (RTM) card for a hefty Rs 9 crore, has struggled to replicate his previous season’s heroics. The 23-year-old managed to score only 55 runs in six appearances and had been excluded from the playing XI in their last six matches, including the abandoned fixture against Punjab Kings (PBKS).