With a play-off berth in line, Delhi Capitals might have to do without their premier quicks on resumption of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 that was suspended for a week following cross-border conflict between India and Pakistan, as question marks remain over the participation of their latest replacement recruit Mustafizur Rahman, while Australian left-armer Mitchell Starc is also unlikely to return to India for the revised final phase of the IPL.

Hours after Mustafizur was signed by Delhi Capitals (DC) as a replacement player for Jake Fraser-McGurk, the left-arm fast bowler flew to the UAE with the Bangladesh squad. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) reportedly said that it had received no communication from BCCI to provide an NOC (no objection certificate) to Mustafizur to participate in IPL 2025.

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Earlier on Wednesday, DC announced Mustafizur as a replacement for Fraser-McGurk, returning to the franchise he represented a couple of years ago. However, the BCB confirmed that neither the IPL nor the player himself have applied for an NOC. The Bangladesh team flew out to the UAE for two T20I series against the UAE and Pakistan, both of which clashed with the IPL.

It has been learnt that Mustafizur was informed of being picked by the Delhi Capitals only on Wednesday, as the decision to sign him was made rather hastily, even before he could formally request a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the BCB.

Later on Wednesday, Mustafizur took to social media to post a picture of him in Bangladesh travel gear on a flight, with a caption: “Heading to UAE to play against them. Keep me in your prayers.”

Bangladesh play two matches against UAE on May 17 and 19, before a five-match series against Pakistan that will begin on May 25 and end on June 3, the day of the revised IPL 2025 final.