KKR remove Bangladesh star Mustafizur Rahman from squad following BCCI instruction
Last month, Hindu factory worker Dipu Chandra Das found himself in the Mymensingh district of Bangladesh. Hundreds of people protested outside the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi after he was beaten and set on fire by a mob who accused him of making derogatory remarks about Muhammad.
A total of 12 people were arrested in connection with his death. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told ANI: “Due to the recent developments in the entire region, BCCI has instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to remove one of their players, Bangladeshi Mustafizur Rahman, from their squad.”
“They can ask for substitution if necessary. BCCI will allow substitution on request.” Later on Saturday, KKR confirmed Mustafizur’s release. “The release was made after due process and consultations on the instructions of BCCI,” the team said in a statement.
30-year-old Mustafizur played for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals in the previous seasons of the IPL and took 65 wickets in 60 matches in total in his IPL career, which started in 2016. He was signed by KKR for a fee of ₹9.2 crore in last month’s auction, making him Bangladesh’s most expensive player in IPL history.
‘DECISION ONLY RELATED TO IPL’
Indian cricket board chairman Mithun Manhas said that the decision to release Mustafizur is limited to IPL only, while no decision has been made yet on Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup matches to be played in India. “BCCI took this decision after extensive consultations and Mr. Saikia has already conveyed this to the media.
The decision relates only to IPL; We haven’t discussed the World Cup yet. We will share the details once they are finalized,” Manhas told IANS on Saturday. Just a day before Saikia’s remarks on Mustafizur, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the domestic season schedule, which will start in March 2026 and include a white-ball series against India comprising three ODIs and three T20Is. Originally scheduled for 2025, this series has now been rescheduled. Additionally, Bangladesh will visit India earlier. The World T20 in February-March Cup, BCB Chairman Aminul Islam Bulbul announced that the body will hold an emergency meeting to discuss the issue later tonight: “…we have arranged to hold an emergency meeting at 9.30 pm (22.00 IST) to find out the matter in detail. Then we will have a clear overview and we can issue a media release,” Bulbul said.
Mustafizur was allowed to register for the auction by the Indian Board but Indo-Bangladesh relations became further strained due to political unrest in the country.
