Bangladesh will have to do without the services Mustafizur Rahman for the rest of the 2016 Asia Cup T20, as the striker bowler has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament due to a side strain.
Rahman was one of the keys to their success against Sri Lanka as they put up a spirited show to outclass the Lankan Lions in the previous game.
Bangladesh team physio Bayjedul Islam Khan confirmed the injury, Monday and referred to it as a 'Grade 1' issue. Bangladesh are yet to confirm how long Mustafizur will be out.
The talented left-arm seamer picked up the injury during their 23-run victory over Sri Lanka in their last game of the Asia Cup.
"Mustafiz complained of discomfort after Sunday's match against Sri Lanka. An MRI scan was done today and the report from the radiologist confirmed a Grade 1 side strain on the right," Bayjedul was quoted as saying by ESPN Cricinfo.
"He is under conservative treatment and rest for next 48 hours. Following that the rehab will begin. We are expecting that he will make a quick recovery and resume bowling soon."
Bangladesh are placed second in the Asia Cup points table, behind India. The hosts will target a positive result against Pakistan in their next match, Wednesday at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.
Rahman was picked up for $50,000 by the Lahore Qalandars in the recently-concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL). But an injury picked up during the series against Zimbabwe at home kept Rahman out of the T20 league.
Opener Tamim Iqbal, who was on paternity leave for the first half of the Asia Cup, has been named as Rahman's replacement for the rest of the tournament.
Bangladesh can only hope that Rahman recovers quickly as the ICC World T20 2016, which starts from March 8 in India, is getting closer and closer.
