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ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman has been released by Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after the Indian cricket board said it had &ldquo;advised&rdquo; the move, underscoring growing concerns over political interference in sport.&nbsp;Mustafizur, who has previously featured in the IPL for multiple teams, was bought by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan&rsquo;s KKR for more than $1 million at the auction held in December.&nbsp;His removal comes amid heightened political tensions and a public campaign by right-wing figures in India targeting both the player and the franchise&rsquo;s owner.&nbsp;Devajit Saikia, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), confirmed the board&rsquo;s role in the decision.<div class="fr-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://x.com/NewsArenaIndia/status/2007325783090741352" style="color: rgb(0, 115, 230);"></a></blockquote></div><div class="fr-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://x.com/NewsArenaIndia/status/2007325783090741352" style="color: rgb(0, 115, 230);"></a></blockquote></div><div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2007325783090741352&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=14fd4a35fba8655c63c98fe1d1996ae3eaa551ca&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>&nbsp;&ldquo;Considering recent developments, Kolkata were advised to release&rdquo; the 30-year-old Bangladesh international, Saikia said.&nbsp;Following the directive, the Khan&ndash;owned franchise announced the player&rsquo;s exit.&nbsp;&ldquo;His release has been carried out following due process and consultations,&rdquo; the KKR said, adding that &ldquo;BCCI will allow Kolkata Knight Riders a replacement player in line with IPL replacement regulations.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 754px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2007367139804754366&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=14fd4a35fba8655c63c98fe1d1996ae3eaa551ca&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>&nbsp;The move follows a wave of political attacks against the franchise and its owner.&nbsp;Former BJP MLA Sangeet Som accused the franchise owner, a prominent Indian Muslim actor, of disloyalty, declaring, &ldquo;If you earn money, it comes from this country. But you have betrayed the nation&hellip; there should not be any place for such traitors.&rdquo; Religious figure Jagadguru Rambhadracharya also joined the campaign, branding Khan &ldquo;anti-national&rdquo; and questioning his character, alleging his views had consistently run counter to the country.&nbsp;The rhetoric escalated into explicit threats from BJP-affiliated figures.&nbsp;In a video circulated on social media, Abhishek Thakur said, &ldquo;We will beat Mustafizur Rahman and Shah Rukh Khan if they allow the former to play in IPL.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2007093215787471269&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=14fd4a35fba8655c63c98fe1d1996ae3eaa551ca&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>&nbsp;While Saikia offered no further public explanation for the advisory, the inclusion of a Bangladeshi player had drawn criticism from right-wing Hindu groups following the death of a Hindu man in Bangladesh in December.&nbsp;Bangladesh&rsquo;s interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, has accused India of exaggerating the scale of the violence.&nbsp;The incident has renewed criticism of India&rsquo;s repeated politicization of cricket, with critics arguing that decisions affecting players and teams are increasingly shaped by nationalist pressure rather than sporting considerations. The 19th edition of the IPL is scheduled to begin on March 26.

Cricket

Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released by IPL’s Kolkata Knight Riders after BCCI advice, amid political pressure, right-wing threats and India-Bangladesh tensions, reviving criticism of growing political interference in cricket.

India drops Bangladeshi star from IPL amid political pressure

ISLAMABAD: India&rsquo;s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has once again blurred the line between politics and sport by branding Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan &ldquo;anti-national&rdquo; over his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise&rsquo;s decision to sign a Bangladeshi cricketer.&nbsp;The controversy erupted after the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi, where Khan&rsquo;s franchise secured Bangladeshi left-arm fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman for $1.02 million.&nbsp;BJP leaders and affiliates responded with public accusations and threats, drawing widespread criticism for injecting hyper-nationalist politics into a professional sporting league.&nbsp;Former BJP MLA Sangeet Som accused Khan of betraying India, declaring, &ldquo;If you earn money, it comes from this country. But you have betrayed the nation&hellip; there should not be any place for such traitors.&rdquo;&nbsp;Religious figure Jagadguru Rambhadracharya also joined the campaign, calling Shah Rukh Khan &ldquo;anti-national&rdquo; and questioning his character, alleging that his views had consistently been against the country.&nbsp;The rhetoric escalated further when BJP-affiliated figures issued direct threats. Abhishek Thakur, speaking in a video circulated on social media, said, &ldquo;We will beat Mustafizur Rahman and Shah Rukh Khan if they allow the former to play in IPL.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=e30%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2007093215787471269&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard&sessionId=bddc91dad91e30354161280cbf0fd80065d61fab&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2007093215787471269"></iframe></div></div>&nbsp;The incident exposed an increasingly hostile environment for foreign players, particularly from neighboring countries, amid India&rsquo;s domestic political discourse.&nbsp;Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla echoed the hardline position, stating, &ldquo;I completely agree that no player from Bangladesh should play in the IPL.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=e30%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2006740198017871968&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard&sessionId=bddc91dad91e30354161280cbf0fd80065d61fab&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2006740198017871968"></iframe></div></div>&nbsp;In contrast, opposition leaders criticized the BJP&rsquo;s approach, warning that politicizing cricket undermines both sport and regional stability. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said cricket should not be used as a proxy for political disputes.&nbsp;&ldquo;Cricket should not be made to bear the burden for attacks on minorities in Bangladesh,&rdquo; Tharoor said.&nbsp;Congress leader Priyank Kharge also criticized the ruling party&rsquo;s campaign, cautioning that dragging sport into political hostility risks damaging India&rsquo;s relations with neighboring countries.&nbsp;The episode has revived broader criticism of India&rsquo;s repeated politicization of cricket, with observers noting that sporting bodies and tournaments have frequently been affected by political considerations, particularly in matters involving regional rivals and neighboring states.

India’s BJP sparks controversy by branding Shah Rukh Khan anti-national for signing Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman, drawing criticism over politicizing cricket and issuing threats.

Articles tagged with "shah rukh khan"

India drops Bangladeshi star from IPL amid political pressure

India’s BJP politicizes IPL, targets Shah Rukh Khan over Bangladeshi player