Can Fizz break cycle of regret?

When Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman took part in his first T20 World Cup, he was still in his first year in international cricket. He came into the 2016 T20 World as a prodigious talent, having already bamboozled some of the biggest stars in world cricket.

That World Cup, however, ended in disappointment for Mustafizur and Bangladesh, much like the ones that have followed since.

Following that first T20 World Cup, where he picked nine wickets in three matches, Mustafizur had the mark of big player on him. His reputation swelled further after he helped Sunrisers Hyderabad win their maiden IPL title in his debut season, picking up 17 wickets in 16 games.

It appeared the left-arm seamer is bound to reach greater heights but struggles with injuries among other things halted his rise.

So sharp was his decline, questions were raised whether he would ever touch those heights again. After many average to underwhelming seasons at the IPL, Mustafizur conjured up some of his old magic for the Chennai Super Kings this season.

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He bagged 14 wickets for Chennai, and was the joint highest wicket-taker in the tournament before his NOC ended.

There was plenty of criticism regarding his tournament being cut short, many experts feeling he would have been better served by continuing to play in the IPL and skipping the Tigers' series against Zimbabwe at home. The BCB, however, had other plans.

Mustafizur, in a literal way, is a man with the golden arm. His cutters, with great revolutions that he puts on the ball, takes a lot out of him. There is a limit to how many of those special variations he can bowl under duress in a month-long tournament and he needs to be fresh to bowl at his best.

Cutting his IPL stint short should help him to rest, recharge and be at his effective best in the T20 World Cup.

Momentum is on Mustafizur's side as he steps into his fourth T20I World Cup, which also presents him with a chance to correct the biggest regret of his career.

"When it comes to big players, after winning a big event or a trophy one can be called a big player. So, that regret has always been there," the 28-year-old said in a video posted by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on social media yesterday.

This statement from Mustafizur, who is usually known as a man of few words, bears the mark of maturity. The likes of Shakib Al Hasan, who has featured in every editions of the T20 World Cup, may have similar regrets and the onus will be on Mustafizur and Shakib to lead Bangladesh's charge in the tournament.

If Mustafizur can carry his IPL form into the USA and the Caribbean, and fellow pacers like Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam and Tanzim Sakib can be at their best, the Tigers can dream of putting forth a far better display then they have ever done.

Bangladesh with Mustafizur in T20 World Cups

2016 Bangladesh won their first-round matches against the Netherlands and Oman but lost against Australia, India, and New Zealand in the Super 10.

2021 Mahmudullah Riyad-led Bangladesh were stunned by Scotland in their opening first-round fixture but came back to beat Oman and Papua New Guinea to qualify for the main stage of the tournament in which the Tigers lost all five of their encounters.

2022 Bangladesh's best outing in a T20 World Cup came in this edition as they managed to win two matches (against Zimbabwe and the Netherlands) in the main stage of the tournament for the first time. The Tigers lost the other three fixtures.