Fallout of Mustafizur Saga: Bangladesh to Approach ICC to Shift its T20 World Cup Matches to Sri Lanka
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Jan 3: Like Pakistan, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is learnt to have decided to approach the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift all its matches in the coming Men’s T20 World Cup tournament from India to Sri Lanka after the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Saturday was forced to release the Bangladeshi player Mustafizur Rahman from its squad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) under a directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
In addition, the bilateral cricket series between India and Bangladesh, which was deferred from the last year to September, this year, is also in jeopardy if the BCCI stick to its decision to boycott Bangladesh visits and play the matches in global events only in neutral venues as is in the case of Pakistan.
In the T20 World Cup being jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7, Bangladesh are scheduled to play matches against the West Indies (Feb 7, 2026), Italy (Feb 9), and England (Feb 14) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata and Nepal (Feb 17) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. With the BCCI not allowing Mustafizur to play in India following a demand raised by some people because of the killing of Hindus by mobs in Bangladesh, the country’s cricket board has expressed apprehension over the safety of its players in India and therefore sought a change of venues.
A top BCB official said it would be putting the ball in ICC’s court following the decision taken by BCCI, as tension between the two countries was mounting with each passing day. “I cannot make any comment regarding the release of Mustafizur as this is their internal matter, but as far as taking part in the World Cup is concerned, it is an ICC event, and they will make the final call after taking everything into consideration,” the BCB official said.
The official said the BCB will take up the matter regarding the T20 World Cup with the ICC at the earliest and pointed out that Pakistan too has decided not to play in India after India refused to travel to their country for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said they have asked KKR to release Mustafizur from the IPL contract “due to the unrest that has developed across that country.” “BCCI has instructed KKR to release Bangladeshi player Mustafizur Rahman from their squad. BCCI will allow them to pick any replacement player of their choice,” Saikia said.
Kolkata Knight Riders, owned by Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, later confirmed Mustafizur’s release. “Kolkata Knight Riders confirms that BCCI or IPL, as the regulator of IPL, has instructed it to release Mustafizur Rahman from the squad ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League season. The release has been carried out following due process and consultations, upon the instruction of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. BCCI will allow Kolkata Knight Riders a replacement player in line with IPL regulations, and further details will be communicated in due course,” the franchise said in a statement.
Mustafizur, 30, was signed by Kolkata at the most recent mini-auction auction for 92 million rupees ($1.1 million), the highest price ever paid for a Bangladeshi player in the tournament. He has previously played for five IPL franchises across eight seasons, making his debut in 2016 with Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh have nose-dived after a mob-enforced regime change a few months ago, which has resulted in violence against Hindus in the country by mobs controlled by Muslim fundamentalists.
The BCB had issued a media release on Friday, stating that they will host India for three ODIs followed by three T20Is in the first week of September. However, following recent developments across the border, the BCCI has decided to put the series on hold and will seek Indian government approval before taking a final call. The BCCI had recently postponed a tour by the Indian men’s team to Bangladesh to play ODIs and T20s.The BCCI will communicate to BCB about Indian government decisions in due course, official sources said.
“We didn’t travel to Bangladesh last year too, BCB had issued their international calendar, but it looks doubtful, as we need Indian government approval to play in any other country. As far as the T20I World Cup is concerned, Bangladesh will play as per the scheduled games in India,” a top BCCI official claimed.
The KKR owner film actor Shah Rukh Khan was facing strong criticism from the rightist groups for taking Mustafizur Rahman in the IPL squad in view of the alleged attacks on Hindus in that country. It sparked controversy in Maharashtra as politicians and spiritual leaders criticised the actor.
Hindu spiritual leader Jagadguru Rambhadrachary had called the 60-year-old actor “anti-national”, adding that he had no character. “…It is unfortunate (Shah Rukh Khan took Bangladeshi cricketer in KKR for IPL 2026), but he will do so because he is considered a hero. Shah Rukh Khan’s stance has consistently been at odds with the nation. He has no character. His character has always been questionable and anti-national,” Rambhadrachary said.
Shiv Sena leader Anand Dubey had also targeted the actor, adding that they would not allow Rahman to play at “any cost.” “If Shah Rukh Khan plays him and earns money, that money will be used to nurture terrorists there and conspire against our country. We will not allow this to happen at any cost,” he said. The pressure had been mounting on the BCCI over the participation of the Bangladesh cricketer. Mustafizur has featured in IPL since 2016, except in 2020 and 2021, and has played for teams such as Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. The upcoming edition was going to be his first for three-time IPL winners KKR.
The Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Priyank Kharge have launched sharp criticism against the BJP and the BCCI after the KKR was directed to drop Rahman from the squad. Reacting to the development, Mr Tharoor, who lately had been hitting the headlines for praising the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on multiple occasions, wrote on X, questioning the rationale behind the decision and warned against mixing religion, nationality and sport.
“Recalling my views on the subject, now that @bcci has deplorably pulled the plug on Mustafizur Rahman. And what if the Bangladeshi player in question had been Litton Das or Soumya Sarkar? Who are we punishing here: a nation, an individual, his religion? Where will this mindless politicising of sport lead us?” Mr Tharoor said. Mr Tharoor reiterated that holding an individual sportsperson accountable for developments in another country was unjustified.
Mr Tharoor said India had been engaging with Bangladesh and urging it to protect and look after minorities, and that such messaging should continue. “But Mustafizur Rahman is a cricketer and has nothing to do with any of these things. He has not been personally accused of hate speech or attacks, or of condoning or defending such acts. He is a sportsman, and mixing these two things is simply not fair,” he said.
He added that isolating neighbouring countries through sporting boycotts would not serve any constructive purpose. “If India becomes a country that isolates all its neighbours and says nobody should play with them, it will not do any good. We need a big heart and a big mind in this matter,” Mr Tharoor said. Stressing that the decision was purely a sporting one, he said politics should not be allowed to influence such matters.
Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge echoed similar sentiments and questioned the role of the BCCI, the ICC and the Union government in the controversy. Speaking on the issue, Mr Kharge said the rules governing player participation should have been clearly framed at the outset. “What is the point of questioning a franchise or its owner? The rules are set by the BCCI and are overseen by the ICC. Why is nobody questioning the BCCI, the ICC or the Home Minister?” he asked.
Mr Kharge also accused the ruling establishment of selectively invoking nationalism for profit. “If the BCCI really cares about people’s sentiments, why are IPL auctions held outside India? Why was IPL played in Abu Dhabi during Covid? You don’t see the English Premier League or the NFL conducting auctions outside their countries,” he said. Mr Kharge alleged that nationalism was being used conveniently while commercial interests were prioritised.
