Mustafizur Rahman Released By Kolkata Knight Riders Following BCCI Instruction For IPL 2026

Cricket

-Gaurav Sharma

Kolkata
Knight
Riders
have
dropped
Bangladesh
pacer
Mustafizur
Rahman
from
their
IPL
2026
squad
after
a
directive
from
the
Board
of
Control
for
Cricket
in
India,
turning
a
routine
team
announcement
into
a
major
talking
point
as
off-field
tensions
and
political
reactions
grow
around
the
league.

The
Board
of
Control
for
Cricket
in
India
move
is
described
as
precautionary,
coming
after
weeks
of
public
debate
and
scrutiny.
Mustafizur
was
the
only
Bangladesh
cricketer
with
an
IPL
2026
contract,
which
placed
extra
attention
on
Kolkata
Knight
Riders
and
the
tournament’s
stance
during
the
wider
regional
strain.

Kolkata
Knight
Riders
IPL
2026
decision
on
Mustafizur
Rahman

Kolkata
Knight
Riders
confirmed
the
development
through
an
official
statement
that
underlined
the
Board
of
Control
for
Cricket
in
India’s
authority
over
league
matters.
“Kolkata
Knight
Riders
confirms
that
BCCI/IPL
as
the
regulator
of
IPL
has
instructed
it
to
release
Mustafizur
Rahman
from
the
squad
ahead
of
the
upcoming
IPL
season.
The
release
has
been
carried
out
following
due
process
and
consultations,
upon
the
instruction
of
the
Board
of
Control
of
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
statement
read,
setting
out
both
the
decision
and
the
path
for
a
replacement.

BCCI
secretary
Devajit
Saikia
told
India
Today
that
Kolkata
Knight
Riders
were
formally
instructed
to
act,
ending
speculation
around
Mustafizur
Rahman’s
future
in
IPL
2026.
“Due
to
the
recent
developments
that
are
going
on
all
across,
BCCI
has
instructed
the
franchise
KKR
to
release
one
of
their
players,
Mustafizur
Rahman
of
Bangladesh,
from
their
squad,”
Saikia
said,
adding
that
the
franchise
would
not
be
left
short
of
options.
“BCCI
has
also
said
that
if
they
ask
for
any
replacement,
BCCI
is
going
to
allow
that
replacement.”

Political
debate
around
Kolkata
Knight
Riders
IPL
2026
signing
of
Mustafizur
Rahman

Questions
over
Mustafizur
Rahman’s
Kolkata
Knight
Riders
contract
grew
soon
after
the
IPL
2026
mini-auction,
when
voices
from
parts
of
the
political
space
and
several
religious
organisations
objected
to
a
Bangladesh
player
appearing
in
fixtures
hosted
in
Kolkata.
BJP
leader
Kaustav
Bagchi
publicly
opposed
Bangladeshi
participation,
and
criticism
quickly
widened
to
include
anger
directed
at
co-owner
Shah
Rukh
Khan
for
supporting
the
purchase.

The
outrage
intensified
after
the
recent
killing
of
a
Hindu
man
in
Bangladesh,
an
incident
that
led
India
to
raise
concerns
about
the
safety
of
minorities
there.
That
backdrop
increased
pressure
on
the
Board
of
Control
for
Cricket
in
India
over
Mustafizur
Rahman’s
involvement
in
IPL
2026,
with
administrators
wary
of
fresh
flashpoints
as
planning
for
the
season
moved
ahead.

How
Kolkata
Knight
Riders
IPL
2026
plans
change
without
Mustafizur
Rahman

From
a
purely
cricket
angle,
Kolkata
Knight
Riders
lose
a
specialist
left-arm
seamer
who
was
expected
to
shape
their
attack
on
slow
or
gripping
pitches.
Mustafizur
Rahman
is
known
for
slower
balls
and
variations
at
the
death,
and
team
analysts
had
earmarked
those
skills
as
central
to
the
IPL
2026
bowling
strategy.

Mustafizur
Rahman
joined
Kolkata
Knight
Riders
at
the
IPL
2026
mini-auction
in
December
2025
for
Rs
9.20
crore,
a
figure
that
highlighted
the
franchise’s
belief
in
his
impact.
The
deal
initially
drew
headlines
for
tactical
reasons
before
the
off-field
narrative
overtook
the
discussion
and
created
pressure
around
the
signing.

The
key
details
of
Mustafizur
Rahman’s
short
Kolkata
Knight
Riders
stint
for
IPL
2026
are
set
out
below.

With
Mustafizur
Rahman
now
released,
Kolkata
Knight
Riders
must
search
for
another
overseas
fast
bowler
before
IPL
2026
begins.
The
Board
of
Control
for
Cricket
in
India
has
already
said
the
franchise
can
seek
a
replacement
under
existing
league
rules,
which
should
allow
Kolkata
Knight
Riders
to
rebalance
their
squad
composition
without
rushing
decisions.

The
Board
of
Control
for
Cricket
in
India’s
intervention
closes
one
chapter
in
the
Mustafizur
Rahman-Kolkata
Knight
Riders
story
for
IPL
2026,
but
the
episode
underlines
how
cricket
decisions
can
quickly
link
with
political
sentiment
and
social
concerns,
even
as
the
franchise
waits
to
identify
a
new
overseas
pacer
to
fill
the
vacant
slot.