KKR released Rahman following a directive from the BCCI, citing recent developments in the deteriorating relations between India and Bangladesh following reports of attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. Mustafizur, who was bought by KKR for INR 9.2 crore at the IPL 2026 auction, was part of the BCCI-approved player pool. However, his selection was criticized by 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, saying a sportsperson should not be the victim of diplomatic tensions or social media outrage.
“So if there was someone in the pool, why is it KKR’s fault for selecting someone from that pool? So the first question is, there is no point in objecting to the selection of someone who the BCCI has submitted to all the teams as an eligible player,” he said, as quoted by NDTV.
Bangladesh did not send terrorists across the border: Shashi Tharoor
Tharoor said the BCCI’s decision made little sense in cricket. He pointed out that franchises selected players from a list compiled by the BCCI itself, making it contradictory to object to KKR’s choice after the auction. Tharoor also warned against setting up a dangerous model by equating Bangladesh with Pakistan.
“We also tried to greet Tariq Rahman (Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and son of ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia), who is seen by many people as a likely future Prime Minister after the elections. No, Bangladesh is not Pakistan. Bangladesh has not sent terrorists across the border. It is not a similar situation at all,” he added.
The controversy has now escalated to the international level. After an emergency meeting, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) wrote a letter 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 banned from the IPL. Bangladesh are reportedly considering requesting the relocation of the T20 World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka, with Kolkata set to host the opening matches.
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