BCCI asks Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman amid tensions - Report

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly asked Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their squad ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) season. Rahman, bought by KKR during the December auctions in Abu Dhabi, has become a topic of debate after Indian political leaders showed discontent over the inclusion of Bangladeshi players. This comes after violence against the Hindu community in Bangladesh has become a serious topic.

Mustafizur Rahman out of IPL 2026?

“Due to the recent developments that are going on all across, BCCI has instructed the franchise KKR to release one of their players, Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh, from their squad,” BCCI Secretary Devjit Saikia told India Today.

“BCCI has also said that if they ask for any replacement, BCCI is going to allow that replacement," he added.

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During the IPL 2026 auctions in Abu Dhabi, KKR bought Rahman for Rs 9.2 crore, one of the highest during the auctions for a foreign player. However, with communal violence against Hindus in Bangladesh at its peak, BJP leaders have urged a boycott of Bangladeshi commodities and stars. Part of that boycott is Rahman’s inclusion in the KKR side for IPL 2026.

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On Thursday, ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sangeet Som slammed Shah Rukh Khan, co-owner of IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, for purchasing Rahman.

"On one hand, Hindus are being killed in Bangladesh, and on the other hand, cricketers are being bought in the IPL. The traitorous film actor Shah Rukh Khan has bought Bangladeshi cricketer Rahman for Rs 9 crore. Such traitors have no right to live in this country," Som said during a public event in Meerut.