IPL side KKR release Mustafizur after BCCI request

Mustafizur Rahman, a Bangladeshi bowler, has been given a release order by the Indian Premier League’s Kolkata Knight Riders following a recommendation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The BCCI’s request, which was made amid strife between India and Bangladesh, was unprompted.

In a case that led to protests by Hindu nationalist groups in India, a Hindu man was accused of blasphemy and brutally murdered by a mob in Bangladesh with a Muslim majority.

Since Sheikh Hasina, the former prime minister, fled Bangladesh in 2024, the country has become more hostile toward India.

Despite several requests, India has refused to return her, and violent protests have erupted in Bangladesh over the murder of prominent student leader Sharif Osman Hadi.

According to BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, “Due to recent developments going on all over,” the franchise Kolkata Knight Riders are required to remove Bangladeshi Mustafizur Rahman from their squad.

When KKR, who are majority-owned by Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, paid about £760, 000 for the 30-year-old left armer, Mustafizur was the only Bangladesh player to be purchased in the IPL auction for the 2026 season.

A KKR statement read, “The release has been conducted following the Board of Control of Cricket in India’s instructions,” according to a KKR statement.

In accordance with IPL rules, BCCI will allow the Kolkata Knight Riders to find a replacement player. More information will be provided in due course.

In the IPL, Mustafizur has previously taken 60 wickets in 65 games for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings, and Delhi Capitals.