Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has backed BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) to take the right call in response to the ongoing controversy surrounding Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman ahead of IPL 2026. Rahman was bought by Shah Knight co-owner Rifranis Khan, Koll. (KKR), for Rs 9.20 crore during the mini-auction for the upcoming season.
However, the signing of Rahman was not liked by some politicianswho openly expressed their displeasure at the move due to repeated incidents of violence against Hindus in the neighboring country. Amid this controversy, Mohammad Kaif also shared his views on the matter and expressed faith in the BCCI administration to take an appropriate decision.
“I am not very aware of it because I am here in Dubai for the last two to three weeks. The BCCI will decide on it; it is all in their hands. So I will not comment much because it is a sensitive matter. Even you in the media should play a waiting game and not assume anything until it happens. That is why we should not wait for the most intelligent people and they should look at the people who are hasty in BC. leagues in the world and know what to do and what to do not to do,” Kaif told India Today during a media interaction at ILT20 in Dubai.
A total of seven Bangladeshi players made it to the final list of IPL auction players namely Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana, Rakibul Hasan, Md Shoriful Islam and Mustafizur Rahman. Of these, only Rahman was selected for the bidding event after an intense bidding war between KKR and Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
The signing of Mustafizur KKR was widely criticized and drew opposition from sections of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and various religious groups. Kaustav Bagchi, a BJP leader, issued a public warning about the involvement of Bangladeshi players in the IPL matches to be held in Kolkata.
Hindu religious preachers and some BJP leaders further intensified their criticism, calling Shah Rukh Khan a “traitor” for his association with the franchise and its decision to sign the Bangladeshi player. The controversy resulted in mixed reactions, with several Congress party leaders coming out in support of Shah Rukh Khan, who co-owns KKR.
Meanwhile, the BCCI is yet to issue an official statement on the matter and is expected to take a decision soon, with IPL 2026 slated to begin in March. Earlier, the BCCI had also postponed the India-Bangladesh series in 2025 following public backlash.
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Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
January 3, 2026
