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BCCI tells Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from KKR squad for IPL 2026
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirms that KKR have been told to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their squad.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday asked the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their squad for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The board secretary, Devajit Saikia, told news agency ANI that the decision was made due to recent developments, where incidents of several Hindus being killed in Bangladesh were reported. Saikia also confirmed that the board would allow KKR to sign a replacement once they removed Rahman from their squad.
“Due to the recent developments which is going on all across, BCCI has instructed the franchisee KKR to release one of their player Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh from their squad and BCCI has also said that if they ask for any replacement, BCCI is going to allow that replacement,” said Saikia.
It is worth mentioning that KKR had picked up Rahman in the mini-auction in Abu Dhabi for INR 9.20 crore. An intense bidding war erupted between KKR, Delhi Capitals and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), with the former coming out on top. However, over the last few days, both KKR and co-owner Shah Rukh Khan have been targeted over picking Rahman despite the ongoing strained relations between India and Bangladesh.
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Several political figures from the BJP and Shiv Sena traded barbs at Shah Rukh Khan and KKR for not considering national sentiments. The ties between India and Bangladesh continue to get strained following the death of Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu man, in Mymensingh last month.
Several other incidents of violence against Hindus have been reported in Bangladesh, and hence, the calls for showing Rahman the door were growing. Earlier, BJP leader Sangeet Som had even called Shah Rukh Khan, the Bollywood superstar, a “gaddar (traitor)” for going ahead and signing a player from Bangladesh.
However, the BCCI secretary didn't speak about the upcoming tour of Bangladesh, where India are scheduled to play three ODIs and three T20Is in September 2026. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the schedule on Friday, stating that the Indian team will arrive in Dhaka on August 28. The series was initially supposed to be played last year sometime in August, but had to be rescheduled due to unrest in Bangladesh.
Rahman's IPL career
Earlier, after being picked by KKR, the left-arm pacer was also handed a no-objection certificate by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to miss the home series against New Zealand and be available for the tournament in its entirety.
It is worth mentioning that Rahman played for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2025 season after being signed as a replacement player. He played three matches, picking up four wickets.
Overall, he has played 60 matches in the tournament, picking up 65 wickets. He has previously played for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings.
