Mushfiqur's fractured thumb prevents him from playing in the Test series against Sri Lanka

Bangladeshi physiotherapist Bayjedul Islam Khan said he will require a minimum of three weeks to recuperate.
Mushfiqur Rahim will not play in Bangladesh's two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, which begins in Sylhet on Friday, due to a fractured thumb. It has been confirmed by Bangladeshi physiotherapist Bayjedul Islam Khan that Mushfiqur will need a minimum of three weeks to recuperate from the fracture.
The 36-year-old was hurt on Monday during the second over of the third One-Day International against Sri Lanka. A Taskin Ahmed delivery caught him in the right thumb, causing him to clutch his hand in anguish. After receiving some treatment from the team physiotherapist, Mushfiqur returned to his wicketkeeping responsibilities and went on to play a match-winning, undefeated 37 in Bangladesh's 236-run chase.
"Mushfiqur had an X-ray done in Dhaka following the match, and the results showed that he had an avulsion fracture on the MIP joint of his right thumb. He is not anticipated to play in the Test series against Sri Lanka as he is currently receiving cautious treatment for his injury, which should keep him out of action for three to four weeks, according to Bayjedul.
The loss of Mushfiqur is a serious setback to Bangladesh's batting lineup. The most Tests played by any player from Bangladesh, 88, have seen him amass 5676 runs at an average of 38.09. In the ODI series, Mushfiqur was also very good, finishing second in runs scored for Bangladesh behind Najmul Hossain Shanto.

The successor for Mushfiqur has not yet been announced by the Bangladesh selectors, but there aren't many options with relevant red-ball experience. The ones that could be selected are Soumya Sarkar, Towhid Hridoy, or Tanzid Hasan, while Jaker Ali and Anamul Haque are also fresh from the ODI side. A different option would be Naeem Islam, a 37-year-old who participated in his final eight Test matches in 2012. Naeem has been playing well in red-ball leagues lately, finishing as the top run scorer in the BCL 2023–24 and tied for second place in the NCL 2023–24.

Before moving to Chattogram for the second Test, which begins on March 30, Bangladesh will play the first of the two Tests against Sri Lanka in Sylhet. After Bangladesh recovered to win the ODI leg by the same margin, Sri Lanka emerged victorious in the T20I series, 2-1.