Australian batter Jake Fraser-McGurk has officially pulled out of IPL 2025, becoming the second overseas player to do so after Jamie Overton of CSK. Fraser-McGurk, who was picked by Delhi Capitals (DC) for INR 9 crore at the mega auction, informed the franchise that he won’t rejoin the squad.
In response, DC have signed Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman as his replacement for INR 6 crore. Mustafizur is no stranger to the franchise, having represented them in IPL 2022 and 2023, where he took nine wickets in total. However, under the newly tweaked IPL rules, he won’t be eligible for retention in the IPL 2026 auction cycle.
The updated replacement rules—introduced after the mid-season suspension of IPL due to external factors—now allow franchises to sign temporary replacements beyond the 12-match limit, even if the original player’s exit wasn’t due to injury.
However, Mustafizur’s participation is not yet guaranteed. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has stated that it hasn’t received a formal NOC request from the IPL or the player. Mustafizur is currently with the national team in Dubai, preparing for back-to-back T20I series, including one in Pakistan, both of which clash with the revised IPL dates.
Fraser-McGurk’s absence comes after a poor run with the bat—just 55 runs in six innings, with five single-digit scores and a top score of 38—which led to his benching midway through the season. This was a sharp decline from his form at the end of IPL 2024, where he was considered crucial to DC’s lineup.
Despite the change, Delhi Capitals’ playoff hopes remain alive. But uncertainty continues to loom over the availability of key overseas players, including Mitchell Starc, Faf du Plessis, and Tristan Stubbs.
Stubbs is part of South Africa’s squad for the upcoming World Test Championship final starting June 11 at Lord’s. As per Cricket South Africa, players involved in the WTC must honor their original IPL NOCs, which expire on May 25, the initially scheduled IPL final date.
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