The 2026 Indian Premier League faced a major shift several weeks before it began when Kolkata Knight Riders announced the release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman. He bought for ₹9.2 crore (about US$1 million) at the auction. This decision followed a directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), amid rising political unrest between India and Bangladesh.
KKR decide to release Mustafizur Rahman after political backslash
The directive came after several days of escalating political and public backlash. Tensions grew between the two countries after reports of violence against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. This sparked outrage among various religious and nationalist groups in India. Protests took place in cities like Ujjain, and fringe groups issued warnings against Bangladeshi players participating in IPL matches.
The issue quickly gained momentum online, leading to calls for boycotting matches that involved Bangladesh cricketers. There also strong criticism aimed at KKR’s co-owner Shah Rukh Khan, who supported signing Mustafizur despite the unrest.
BCCI Instruct KKR for release
In a statement, KKR confirmed that they made the decision based on BCCI’s instruction. “Kolkata Knight Riders confirms that BCCI/IPL as the regulator of IPL has instructed it to release Mustafizur Rahman from the squad ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The release has been carried out following due process and consultations, upon the instruction of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
BCCI will allow KKR a replacement player according to IPL regulations, and we will share further details in due course,” the franchise said.
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