Mushfiqur Rahim

Rahim was appointed vice-captain for Bangladesh's tour of Zimbabwe in August 2009. The position was vacated as the previous holder, Shakib Al Hasan, was filling-in as captain for the injured Mashrafe Mortaza.[33] Bangladesh won the five match ODI series 4–1. In the final ODI, Rahim scored 98, beating his previous highest score in list A matches of 58, to help his team to victory.[34] With 169 runs in the series at an average of 56.33, Rahim finishes the tour as Bangladesh's fourth-highest run scorer.[35]

Rahim keeping wicket against England at Old Trafford in 2010

Rahim retained the vice-captaincy for the home Test series against India in January and February 2010. On 21 January, in the fifth day of the first Test, he scored his maiden Test century and the fastest by a Bangladeshi in Test cricket, off only 112 balls as Bangladesh delayed an Indian victory, being the last man out as India won by 113 runs.[36] England toured Bangladesh in February and March for two Tests and three ODIs, where Bangladesh lost all two formats.[37][38][39] In the series, Rahim was his team's second-highest run-scorer.[40][41] He scored two half-centuries in the first Test, becoming the 6th Bangladesh batsman to perform the feat.[42]

Having impressed at home, Rahim's performance in the return tour in England in May was expected to be crucial for the rankings.[43] In the tour, Rahim could managed 40 runs from two Tests as Bangladesh's batsmen struggled in English conditions and slumped to a 2–0 defeat.[44] In the first ODI of the tour Rahim was struck in the face while keeping wicket to spinner Faisal Hossain. An x-ray revealed no fractures, however as a precaution he was rested for a week, missing the rest of the series.[45]

In November 2010, BCB announced 16 central contracts. Rahim was one of six players in the top level.[46] In December 2010, Tamim Iqbal replaced Rahim as Bangladesh's vice-captain.[47]

Rahim was included in Bangladesh's 15-man squad for the 2011 World Cup.[48] Bangladesh were knocked out in the group stage and Rahim had a poor tournament personally. There were suggestions that he could be dropped, especially as fellow wicket-keeper Dhiman Ghosh was scoring heavily in Bangladesh's domestic competition.[49] In August 2011, Mushfiqur hit 101 from 100 balls having his second century against Zimbabwe was not enough to stop Bangladesh losing the third one-day series by five runs.[50]

On 20 September 2011, Rahim was named Bangladesh captain, taking over from Shakib Al Hasan after a disappointing tour of Zimbabwe. The announcement was made midway through the BCB Cup, a tournament involving the senior Bangladesh team, Bangladesh A, and a side made up of academy players. Rahim had already been captaining Bangladesh in the tournament on a temporary basis.[54] The competition was won by Bangladesh A.[55]

In 2011, West Indies toured Bangladesh in October for a T20I, three ODIs, and two Tests. In his first international match as captain, Rahim produced a Man-of-the-Match performance, scoring 41 not out from 26 balls to help his team to victory.[56] Desptire T20I win, Bangladesh lost the ODI series 2–1. Rahim was Bangladeshi's leading run-scorer with 100, including a fifty.[57] The following month, Pakistan toured for three ODIs and two Tests. Bangladesh lost the ODI series 3–0, and Rahim managed just 12 runs from three innings.[58]

In the 2012 Asia Cup, under Rahim's captaincy, Bangladesh won two out of the three games they have played and reached the final for the first time where they lost to Pakistan. In April his grade A+ central contract was renewed.[59] On 11 March 2013, during the first test of the tour of Sri Lanka in Galle, Rahim became the first Bangladeshi to score a double hundred, beating the previous highest of 190 set by Mohammed Ashraful earlier in the day.[60]

Rahim announced his resignation as captain on 8 May 2013,[61] but a few days later Mushfiqur announced he had made a "mistake", and on 3 July 2013 the BCB announced they would be retaining Mushfiqur as captain until the end of the year.[62]

Rahim continued his captaincy in 2014 and lost to Sri Lanka in a home series. During the series, he suffered a finger injury for which he was replaced with Mohammad Mithun in wicket keeping.[63] He also missed out the T20 international matches against Sri Lanka in which Mashrafe Mortaza took the job of captaincy.[64] He scored his second one-day international century against India at the beginning of the 2014 Asia Cup but struggled in that match with his injury.[65][66]

In the next match against Afghanistan, Rahim continued his good form but Bangladesh lost the match by 32 runs, the first time they had lost to an associate team since gaining Test status.[67][68] His team also lost the match against Pakistan in that same tournament even after scoring 326 which was their highest ODI score, courtesy of Shahid Afridi's knock.[69] Later they lost to Sri Lanka in their last match of the series which made them lose all three matches.[70]

Bangladesh qualified for the super 10s in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20, by winning two of their three matches in the qualifying stage. But they were knocked out in the super 10s, having lost all the four matches.[71]

Bangladesh toured the West Indies in August 2014. During the first Test, Mushfiqur scored 116 in the second innings, picking up his third Test century.[72] However, they lost all three ODIs and two Test matches.[73]

In September 2014, the BCB appointed Mortaza as the ODI captain, although Rahim retained the Test captaincy.[74] In November 2014, Bangladesh whitewashed Zimbabwe in both the three Tests and five ODIs.[75] He was also awarded the man of the series for the ODI matches.[76]

During the first Test against New Zealand at Basin Reserve in January 2017, Rahim was hit on the back of the helmet on the fifth day of match and immediately taken to hospital. The incident took place in the 43rd over of Bangladesh's second innings when Tim Southee bowled a bouncer that hit Rahim just behind left ear as he was trying to duck. Initial X-rays and scans to his neck suggested he was out of immediate danger. Rahim attended to the post match presentation after receiving treatment.[77]

In March 2017, during the second Test against Sri Lanka, Rahim took his 100th dismissal as a wicket-keeper. He became the first wicket-keeper for Bangladesh to reach this milestone.[78]

On 15 October 2017, during the first ODI against South Africa, Rahim became the first batsman for Bangladesh to score an international century against South Africa in any format.[79]

He was selected as wicket keeper in the Test XI of the year 2017 by Cricinfo.[80]

In November 2018, he scored 219 not out against Zimbabwe to become the first wicket-keeper–batsman to score two double centuries in Test cricket,(a third double hundred coming in 2020)[81] His score of 219* is currently the highest individual score in a Test innings by a Bangladeshi batsman. Later the same month, against the West Indies, he became the second batsman for Bangladesh to score 4,000 runs in Tests.[6]

In April 2019, he was named in Bangladesh's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.[82][83] In the first innings of Bangladesh's opening match in the World Cup, against South Africa, he scored an 80-ball 78, contributing to a 142 run partnership with Shakib Al Hasan .[84] Bangladesh went on to score their highest total in an ODI match, finishing on 330/6 from their 50 overs, beating South Africa by 21 runs.[85]

In Bangladesh's next match of the tournament, against New Zealand, Mushfiqur played in his 350th international match for Bangladesh.[86]

In the match against Australia, Mushfiqur scored his first century in Cricket World Cup. He scored 102* in 97 balls and became third Bangladeshi batsman to score a century in world cup.[87]

In February 2020, when Zimbabwe toured Bangladesh, he scored an unbeaten 203 runs, becoming the only Bangladeshi batsman to score three double-hundreds in Test cricket.[88]