The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have been ordered by the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) to drop Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman off their team before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. The announcement was made on Saturday and it coincided with the recent geopolitical and social events involving Bangladesh.
The secretary of BCCI Devajit Saikia announced the move by saying that the board decided so following reports over the killing of some Hindus in Bangladesh that has increased the sensitivity between the two neighbouring nations. The board has further guaranteed KKR that they can sign a replacement player when Rahman is formally dropped off the team (Saikia).
In the light of the recent turn of events that are playing out in the region, the BCCI has ordered the KKR franchise to drop Bangladesh cricketer Mustafizur Rahman off their team. The board has also clarified that in case the franchise wants to be replaced, it will be granted the same, Saikia told the news agencies.
KKR bought Mustafizur Rahman at the IPL 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi at a very high price of ₹9.20 crore. He was signed after a bidding war between Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) with KKR finally getting the services of the established left arm pacer.
Nonetheless, over the last few days, the choice of Rahman has received criticism among some fans and commentators, especially during the period of poor diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh. The move was apparently met with criticism on social media by both the franchise as well as KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan.
A versatile and successful cricketer in the limited overs game, Rahman has already appeared in the IPL in franchises such as Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings.
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