Arun Dhumal, the chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL), recently addressed the removal of Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad in early January. This move came after a directive from the BCCI amidst escalating tensions between India and Bangladesh. Mustafizur was the only Bangladeshi player picked at the auction last December, signed for ₹9.5 crore by KKR. His release triggered backlash against KKR and co-owner Shah Rukh Khan. Dhumal described the situation as unfortunate and emphasized that the Indian government does not interfere in the day-to-day operations of cricket, only providing broader support to the sport. KKR confirmed that Mustafizur’s release was in line with BCCI instructions. The decision led to the banning of IPL broadcast in Bangladesh and the national team being prevented from traveling to India for the T20 World Cup. Despite efforts by the Bangladesh Cricket Board to relocate matches to Sri Lanka, the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the World Cup lineup due to the ongoing dispute.
Follow Franchise Cricket for more IPL news.
