Mustafizur Rahman pays heavy price for freeze in India-Bangladesh relations; sport and politics no longer separable

Given the political dynamics, the BCCI decision on Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman wasn’t entirely unexpected.

A little over a quarter of a century ago, Bangladesh played their inaugural Test match at Dhaka’s Bangabandhu National Stadium. To no one’s surprise, the 10-14 November 2000 clash was against India, the prime mover behind their fellow Asians becoming the tenth Test-playing nation.

Mustafizur Rahman won't be a part of IPL 2026. (REUTERS)

It was thanks to the influence of Jagmohan Dalmiya, then the head of the International Cricket Council, that Bangladesh was conferred Test status by a unanimous vote on 26 June 2000. The catalyst for this development was a 62-run win over eventual finalists Pakistan at the 1999 50-over World Cup, in Bangladesh’s debut at the showpiece event.

The home side ran India close in the first innings of their maiden Test before running out of steam, going down by nine wickets but showing enough spunk and skill to suggest that they were not out of place in the five-day game. Their growth since as a cricketing entity hasn’t been staggering, but they have had their moments.

Bangladesh may not admit as much now, but they acknowledge that they owe India a great deal on various counts, not least in the formation of the country itself. The Indian and Bangladeshi cricket boards have enjoyed largely cordial relations, but political developments over the years have thrown a spanner in the works, while on-field contests have taken on greater significance in the last decade.

It is clear that there is a huge wedge between the two countries; Bangladesh’s pro-India stance has taken an emphatic about-turn after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was overthrown in a violent uprising in August last year, following which she sought refuge in India. The current dispensation, led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, has recalibrated its attitude towards Big Brother; members of the Hindu minority are being targeted, compelling India to express its displeasure officially, in no uncertain terms.

It’s against this backdrop that the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s directive to Kolkata Knight Riders to withdraw Mustafizur Rahman from IPL 2026 must be viewed. ‘Fizz’ was the only Bangladeshi to attract attention at the mini auction in Abu Dhabi last month. KKR staved off strong challenges from Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals to acquire the left-arm pacer’s services for ₹9.20 crores. Even at the time, franchise co-owner Shah Rukh Khan was targeted by certain sections for plumping for a Bangladeshi, given the strained relations and the ground realities across the border. Things have progressively deteriorated thereafter, hence the Board’s diktat, confirmed by its secretary, Devajit Saikia, on Saturday.

Bangladesh thus became the second country (whether temporary, remains to be seen), after Pakistan, whose players are persona non grata so far as the IPL is concerned. Several prominent Pakistanis figured in the first edition in 2008, among them Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Sohail Tanvir and Mohammad Asif, but after the terror attacks on Mumbai in November that year, they remain officially banned. Perhaps that ban will also extend to Bangladesh players, if the Mustafizur development is any indication.

The widening cracks in the relations between the boards concerned first surfaced last July when it was announced that a white-ball tour by India, scheduled for the following month, encompassing three One-Day Internationals and as many Twenty20 Internationals, had been deferred to September this year. "This decision has been reached following discussions between the two boards, taking into account the international cricketing commitments and scheduling convenience of both teams," the BCCI said in a sanitised statement. "The BCB looks forward to welcoming India in September 2026 for this eagerly anticipated series. Revised dates and fixtures for the tour will be announced in due course.”

On Friday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board announced the schedule for the postponed tour, with the ODIs slated for September 1, 3, and 6, respectively, and three T20Is scheduled to run between September 9 and 13. The BCCI has been tight-lipped on the proposed trip across the border. The BCB might have jumped the gun, but at this stage, it is difficult to see the tour going ahead. There is great anger in India at how minorities are being treated in Bangladesh, and public sentiment has clearly turned, especially after Yunus has engaged with Pakistan to deepen ties between those two nations.

Bangladeshi players haven’t been in great demand in the IPL; former captain Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur have been the exceptions. Shakib, the left-handed all-rounder, played 71 matches, most of them for KKR, while Mustafizur has figured in 60 matches, which have brought him 65 wickets. The 30-year-old’s predicament can well be imagined, not least because of a large pay cheque suddenly being snatched away, but given the political dynamics, the BCCI decision wasn’t entirely unexpected. At the T20 Asia Cup in the UAE last September, India declared that sports and politics can’t be separated any longer; this is essentially the same stance manifesting itself.