A statement from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said it had “noted that no reason had been communicated for the decision behind the exclusion of Mustafizur Rahman. [from the IPL]” and that the development had “caused unrest among the people of Bangladesh”. The decision had been taken “in the public interest”, it said. The ministry’s deputy secretary Firoz Khan signed the statement.
KKR had acquired the services of Mustafizur for a whopping INR 9.20 crore in the IPL 2026 mini-auction, making him the most expensive Bangladeshi signing in the history of the league. He was expected to play a key role in the tournament and also mentor the young and talented Matheesha Pathirana along the way. However, after the release of Mustafizur, KKR are left with only one foreign pacer in their ranks. However, the BCCI has given them the option to find a replacement for the left-arm fast bowler.
Banning the broadcast of IPL matches is not the only repercussion for Mustafizur’s criticism of KKR. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has also filed a petition with the ICC, asking it to shift their T20 World Cup 2026 matches from India. They have also reportedly written to the BCCI seeking an explanation on Mustafizur’s withdrawal.
Bangladesh are in Group C along with West Indies, Italy, England and Nepal. The Tigers will play their first three matches at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on February 7, 9 and 14 respectively. Their group stage campaign ends on February 17 after they take on Nepal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Mustafizur, who has previously won the IPL, is currently playing for the Rangpur Riders in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025-2026.
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