The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made a major decision to exclude Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL. The board has directed franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release the Bangladeshi pacer from its squad.
BCCI Secretary Debajit Saikia announced the decision, stating that the board made the decision considering the current circumstances. KKR had purchased the left-arm fast bowler for a hefty sum of ₹9.20 crore in the recent auction.
BCCI ask KKR to release Mustafizur Rahman ahead of IPL 2026
The BCCI secretary informed the media about the board’s order in a statement on Saturday, January 3. “In view of the recent developments, the BCCI has directed the KKR franchise to release one of their Bangladeshi players, Mustafizur Rahman, from their squad,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said. However, BCCI has also told the franchise that they will be given full permission to bring in any replacement player they want in place of the Bangladeshi player.
This BCCI order comes after recent protests against Mustafizur Rahman’s inclusion in the IPL, both on social media and on the streets. In fact, in the past few weeks, several Hindus in Bangladesh have been brutally murdered by the Muslim majority population. This has led to an atmosphere of anger against Bangladesh in the country.
In such a situation, when Kolkata acquired Mustafizur in the auction, opposition began. KKR and its owner Shah Rukh Khan, in particular, faced a lot of criticism on social media. Recently, BJP leader Sangeet Som even called Shah Rukh Khan a traitor. The growing opposition ultimately forced the BCCI to take this decision.
Just a day earlier, the Bangladesh Cricket Board announced that the Indian team would tour Bangladesh in August-September for a series of three ODIs and three T20Is. This tour was originally scheduled for last year, but due to the ongoing unrest and violence in Bangladesh, the cricket boards of both countries postponed it to 2026.