Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding his exclusion from the Indian Premier League (IPL), Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman made history on Friday, January 2. The left-arm seamer became the fastest pacer to reach the milestone of 400 wickets in T20 cricket.
The 30-year-old achieved this in his 315th match during a Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) clash against Sylhet Titans at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
Mustafizur turned for Rangpur Riders and returned figures of 4-0-24-3 to guide his team to a six-wicket win. He achieved the milestone by dismissing Mehidy Hasan Miraz and later added the wickets of Afif Hossain Dhrub and Khaled Ahmed to his tally.
Mustafizur now has 402 wickets from 315 T20 matches at an impressive economy rate of 7.43 with six four-wicket hauls and four five-wicket hauls.
MUSTZFIZUR REMOVED FROM IPL
on Saturday Kolkata Knight Riders released Mustafizur from their team ahead of the 2026 IPL season, acting on a directive issued by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The franchise confirmed the decision in an official statement, saying that in its role as the governing body of the Indian Premier League, it followed BCCI guidelines.
The development was confirmed exclusively to India Today by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, bringing clarity to days of uncertainty over the left-arm paceman’s future in the league. Saikia said that KKR has been formally asked to part ways with the Bangladesh international while adding that the board has provided the franchise with a replacement option.
Mustafizur was signed by KKR for Rs 9.20 crore in the IPL 2026 mini-auction in December 2025. While the move initially attracted attention for cricketing reasons, it soon became controversial as opposition emerged from parts of the political spectrum and certain religious groups. The backlash intensified in the days following the auction, eventually culminating in the franchise’s decision to release the pitcher.
Reacting to the development, Mustafizur said there was little he could do and noted that his suspension was a decision of the IPL and beyond his control.
BANGLADESH MINISTRY GOES OUT
Meanwhile, the episode coincided with rising tensions off the pitch. The Interim Government of Bangladesh has directed the Bangladesh Cricket Board to endeavor to o.a change of venue for the team’s matches at the 2026 ICC Men’s Under-20 World Cuprequesting their eviction from India.
Sports advisor Asif Nazrul confirmed the directive, saying that the BCB would formally approach the ICC and suggest Sri Lanka as an alternative venue, while warning that the broadcast of IPL matches in Bangladesh could be stopped.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
January 4, 2026
