Mushfiqur Rahim stranded in Saudi Arabia following US strikes on Iran

New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) Bangladesh's veteran wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim has been stranded in Jeddah while returning from his Umrah pilgrimage, as US strikes on Iran have disrupted flight services in the region.

The US and Israel launched a major offensive on Iran on Saturday, with American President Donald Trump calling on the Iranian public to overthrow the Islamic leadership that has ruled the nation since 1979.

The military strikes have led to a closure of air space in the Gulf region and caused disruption to several flights, including Emirates and Air India.

"...I came to macca for the umrah hajj couple of days back…had finish my hajj and heading back to Bangladesh via Dubai (emirates) today..," he wrote on his Facebook page.

"...we have flown this morning from jeddah to dubai via EK 0806 but unfortunately due to the war between USA, ISRAEL AND IRAN all the flight has return to Jeddah and now i am in jeddah airpot including thoushand of passengers…when and how we will able to go to Dhaka along with other Bangladeshi people." Air India cancelled all its flight to and from the Gulf region, mainly to Abu Dhabi, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Muscat, Riyadh, and Tel Aviv, Israel, the airline said in a statement posted on 'X'.

The 38-year-old Rahim has already retired from ODI and T20I cricket. He has scored 7,795 runs from 274 ODIs with nine centuries and 49 fifties. PTI PDS PDS AH AH