Amid strained Bangladesh ties, KKR drops Mustafizur

Bengaluru: As diplomatic tensions between India and Bangladesh continue to rise, cricket has once again found itself caught in the crossfire. Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released by IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders following a directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Saturday.

Bangladesh has been going through political unrest, which has also fuelled strong anti-India sentiment. Against this backdrop, the BCCI on Saturday asked KKR to let go of the left-arm seamer ahead of the upcoming IPL season.

"The BCCI has asked Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman. The franchise can seek a replacement if required, and the BCCI will allow it upon request," BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia was quoted as saying by PTI.

Saikia, a former Advocate General of Assam, said the decision was taken in view of "recent developments all across", without going into the details.

KKR had signed the left-arm pacer at last month's IPL auction after a fierce bidding war with Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals. Although Mustafizur had set his base price at Rs 2 crore, the Shah Rukh Khan-owned franchise shelled out Rs 9.20 crore to secure his services.

The franchise later confirmed the development in a statement posted on X.

"Kolkata Knight Riders confirms that BCCI/IPL, as the regulator of the IPL, has instructed the franchise to release Mustafizur Rahman from the squad ahead of the upcoming season. The release has been carried out following due process and consultations, as per the instructions of the Board of Control for Cricket in India," the statement read.

With Mustafizur's exit, there will now be no Bangladeshi representation in the IPL. The league has already maintained a blanket ban on Pakistani cricketers since 2009, following the Mumbai terror attacks.

The move could have wider implications for bilateral cricket between the two neighbours. India's scheduled white-ball tour of Bangladesh in September, which had already been postponed once due to security concerns, is now under a cloud. Just a day earlier, the Bangladesh Cricket Board had announced the itinerary for a six-match series.

India have not played bilateral cricket against Pakistan since 2012, and the two nations do not tour each other even for ICC events, with their matches held at neutral venues instead.

Bangladesh's participation in the T20 World Cup, which India will co-host with Sri Lanka in February, is not expected to be affected at this stage.

Several politicians from the ruling BJP had urged the BCCI to exclude Mustafizur from the IPL. Shah Rukh Khan was also criticised for KKR's decision to buy the Bangladeshi cricketer amid the prevailing situation.