Veteran Bangladesh left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman is set to play in the BBL for the first time after signing with Melbourne Renegades. The club confirmed the move on Wednesday for the 2026-27 season, giving the franchise a proven wicket-taker for the powerplay and the death overs.
The signing is a like-for-like replacement. Renegades lost veteran left-arm seamer Jason Behrendorff for the season to a shoulder injury, and they signed Mustafizur in his place to add some variety to the attack. Behrendorff is recovering from shoulder surgery.
Mustafizur, 31, arrives with a long T20 record. He has played 331 T20 matches around the world and taken 423 wickets, but has never played in the BBL. His slower balls and cutters have made him a regular in franchise leagues, and Renegades see that skill as useful on Australian pitches, where batters often chase boundaries in the final overs.
New head coach Luke Ronchi said the franchise wanted a bowler who can hit both ends of the innings. Ronchi called Mustafizur a proven match-winner in T20 cricket all over the world. He added that his ability to take wickets in the powerplay and at the death was exactly what Renegades wanted in their attack.
Mustafizur said he was looking forward to his first BBL season and called the MCG a special venue to play at, as it is Renegades’ home ground.
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He will not be available for the opening match against Perth Scorchers because of his ILT20 commitments. He will be available when Renegades face Sydney Sixers at the MCG on January 1 and Melbourne Stars there on January 4. The BBL is due to begin on December 12.
Mustafizur is set to be just the third player from Bangladesh to feature in the BBL, after Hobart Hurricanes leg-spinner Rishad Hossain and Shakib Al Hasan. Renegades have now filled 16 of their 18 list spots, and Mustafizur joins England wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow and New Zealand spinner Michael Bracewell as their overseas players.
His signing follows Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf’s move to Adelaide Strikers after a long association with Melbourne Stars. Renegades finished seventh in the 2025-26 season and did not reach the finals, so the new-look attack under Ronchi will be under pressure to deliver a turnaround.
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