Mushfiqur Rahim ruled out of Sri Lanka Tests due to thumb injury

Veteran Bangladesh batter Mushfiqur Rahim has been ruled out of the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka due to a thumb injury, the cricket board said Tuesday (March 19). The two-Test series, which is part of the 2023–25 ICC World Test Championship cycle, begins on Friday (March 22) in Sylhet.

Mushfiqur, Bangladesh's highest run-getter in Tests with 5,676 runs in 88 matches, was injured during Monday's (March 18) four-wicket win, in the third One-Day International (ODI) against the visitors in Chattogram.

Bangladesh team physio Bayjedul Islam Khan said Mushfiqur was hit by a ball on his right thumb early in the innings while keeping. "After the match, Mushfiqur underwent an X-ray examination in Dhaka," he said, adding that it revealed his right thumb was fractured.

"He is currently undergoing conservative management for his injury and is expected to be sidelined for around three to four weeks."

It rules him out of the Test series against Sri Lanka, he added. Mushfiqur played a vital part in Monday's win with an unbeaten 37 runs that handed Bangladesh a 2-1 victory in the three-match series.

Sri Lanka won the preceding three-match T20 International series 2-1. The second Test will begin in Chattogram on March 30.