Bangladesh fast bowler released Mustafizur Rahman Kolkata Knight Riders' departure ahead of the IPL 2026 season has sparked a major political-sports controversy. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor recently accused the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of unnecessary politicization of cricket. The fallout has now extended to the IPL, with Bangladesh reconsidering traveling to India for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup in India.
KKR released Rahman following a BCCI directive citing recent developments amid deteriorating India-Bangladesh relations following reports of attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. Mustafizur, who was bought by KKR for Rs 9.2 crore in the IPL 2026 auction, was part of the BCCI-approved player pool. However, his selection sparked backlash from political and religious groups in India, leading to the board's intervention.
Tharoor, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, questioned the logic behind the decision and said no player should be made the victim of diplomatic tension or outrage on social media.
“So if a teammate was in the pool, then why is KKR being blamed for selecting someone from that pool? So, the first question is, there is no point in objecting to the selection of someone who has been presented by the BCCI as an eligible player for all the teams,” he said as quoted by NDTV.
Bangladesh is not sending terrorists across the border: Shashi Tharoor
Tharoor said that BCCI's decision has no meaning for cricket. He pointed out that the franchises selected players from a list prepared by the BCCI, making it contradictory to object to KKR's choice after the auction. Tharoor also warned against setting a dangerous model by comparing Bangladesh with Pakistan.
He said, “We have also tried to congratulate Tariq Rahman (Bangladesh Nationalist Party president and son of former PM Khaleda Zia), who is seen by many as a possible future prime minister after the elections. No, Bangladesh is not Pakistan. Bangladesh is not sending terrorists across the border. It is not a comparable situation at all.”
This dispute has now increased to the international level. After an emergency meeting, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) wrote to the ICC expressing concern over the safety of players in India. Bangladesh sports advisor Asif Nazrul has openly questioned whether the national team can feel safe playing in India after a contracted Bangladeshi cricketer was barred from the IPL. Bangladesh are reportedly considering requesting to shift their T20 World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka, with Kolkata set to host their opening fixtures.
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