Defending champions Lahore Qalandars have acquired Bangladesh pace sensation Mustafizur Rahman as a direct signing to play in Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 in a high-profile comeback of the left-arm quick pacer in PSL.
Mustafizur who earlier played for the Qalandars in the 2016 and the 2018 editions joins the franchise again for the 2026 season and was signed for PKR 6.44 crore.
His return boosts the strength of the pace arsenal at Lahore who are planning to defend their title.
Welcoming him back, Lahore Qalandars owner Sameen Rana termed the signing as more than just a move.
“Once a Qalandar, always a Qalandar.” “Not only is he a player, he’s a brother, it’s a big part of our family that he never left,” Rana said.
He added that the franchise values Mustafizur’s experience and his match-winning ability as they look to make a big statement in PSL 11.
The 30-year-old pacer brings with him plenty of international and franchise experience. In his cricket career, he has played 15 Tests, 116 One-Day Internationals and 126 T20 Internationals with 366 wickets in hand.
In franchise cricket across the world, 412 wickets have been taken by Mustafizur in 322 matches at the excellent average of 21.03.
Lahore Qalandars have already retained some of the key players in preparation for the new season like the captain Shaheen Afridi, batter Abdullah Shafique, all-rounder Sikandar Raza and emerging talent Mohammad Naeem.
Mustafizur’s signing follows a rocky period in his career. He was released by Kolkata Knight riders last month in what was seen to be a decision taken under the influence of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and it created a fury in Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board responded vehemently, and the situation escalated to such a level that Bangladesh withdrew from the T20 World Cup 2026 of the International Cricket Council (ICC), and was subsequently replaced by Scotland.
The Bangladeshi government also imposed a ban on the broadcast of IPL within the country and this widened the divide further.
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