Mustafizur is released from KKR’s IPL 2026 squad per BCCI directives.
KKR will be permitted to add a substitute for Mustafizur Rahman, according to the BCCI secretary.The BCCI “instructed” the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to remove Mustafizur Rahman off their IPL 2026 roster due to “recent developments,” which may be a reference to geopolitical events in the area.
Devajit Saikia, the secretary of the BCCI, told news agency ANI on Saturday morning, “Due to the recent developments which are going on all across, BCCI has instructed the franchise KKR to release one of their players, Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh from their squad and BCCI has also said that if they ask for any replacement, BCCI is going to allow that replacement.”
Saikia did not provide an explanation for the BCCI’s decision, but over the past few days, Indian news outlets have reported that political and spiritual leaders in India have criticized KKR and their owner, Shah Rukh Khan, for including Mustafizur in their lineup at a time when Hindu minorities are allegedly being attacked in Bangladesh.
Former Indian Star Regarding Mustafizur Rahman’s Departure from IPL
KKR confirmed in a statement that “the release has been carried out following due process and consultations, upon the instruction of the Board of Control of Cricket in India” a few hours later.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced their home season, which begins in March 2026 and includes a white-ball tour of three ODIs and three T20Is by India—a series that was originally slated for 2025 but was rescheduled—just one day prior to Saikia’s remarks regarding Mustafizur. Naturally, Bangladesh will be in India for the T20 World Cup earlier in February and March.
Throughout his IPL career, which began in 2016, Mustafizur has taken 65 wickets in 60 games while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Mumbai Indians (MI), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Delhi Capitals (DC), and Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
He was purchased by KKR for INR 9.2 crore at the IPL auction towards the end of the previous year. The team also added Australian all-rounder Cameron Green, Matheesha Pathirana of Sri Lanka, and Akash Deep to their roster.
Currently playing for Rangpur Riders in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Mustafizur is the only cricket player from Bangladesh to secure an IPL team prior to the 2026 season.
The BCB is anticipated to release a comment regarding the issue shortly.Atul Wassan, a former cricket player, claims it is unreasonable to blame Shah Rukh Khan for Mustafizur’s release and that eliminating one player has minimal impact.After the BCCI ordered the release of Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) roster, former India cricketer Atul Wassan feels that it is unjust to blame Shah Rukh Khan, the team’s co-owner, and that eliminating one player won’t change anything.
Devajit Saikia, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), informed ANI on Saturday that the top cricket organization has directed the IKKR to release Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman. The Bangladeshi player’s admission provoked a political and public response, especially in light of the recent targeting of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, which prompted the BCCI to take this action.
KKR acknowledged Mustafizur Rahman’s departure from their team in accordance with the BCCI’s directive.
According to Atul Wassan, the controversy is a natural consequence of the upheaval in Bangladesh, but it is wrong to blame Shah Rukh Khan because KKR was not the only team vying for the player and he is not the only owner of the franchise. He contends that there is no true impact or “revenge” when one player is eliminated.
Whatever has occurred has repercussions, and given the upheaval in Bangladesh, these events were inevitable. However, Shah Rukh Khan is not the sole owner of KKR, and KKR was not the only team vying for the player, thus it is unjust to blame him. A player’s removal won’t change anything.