IPL chairman Arun Dhumal has finally broken his silence on the omission of Mustafizur Rahman from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), three months after the controversy surrounding the Bangladeshi pacer dominated the headlines.
In December last year, Mustafizur was signed for Rs 9.20 crore, making him the most expensive Bangladeshi cricketer in IPL history. However, KKR were later forced to release the left-arm pacemaker on BCCI orders amid tensions between India and Bangladesh.
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Dhumal said it was unfortunate that the seamer could not participate in the tournament.
“I would just say it was unfortunate. Other than that, I don’t have much knowledge,” Dhumal told the Financial Times.
“I would say it’s unfortunate the way things turn out at times. I don’t think the government has any interest or any role in the day-to-day running of cricket. The government supports cricket as a whole. But yes, sometimes events happen around us and decisions follow. I’m sure common sense will prevail and that won’t be the case in the future,” added Dhumal.
HOW MUSTAFIZUR AVOIDED CONTROVERSY
After Mustafizur Rahman was omitted, Bangladesh protested and boycotted the 2026 T20 World Cup. The Bangladesh Cricket Board said the team would only participate if their matches were moved from India, citing security concerns.
However, the ICC rejected the request and Bangladesh were eventually replaced by Scotland for the tournament.
Meantime, Mustafizur Rahman continued to play a role in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) after being signed by Lahore Qalandars for PKR 6.44 million, roughly equivalent to INR 2 million.
In two matches in PSL 2026, Mustafizur has taken two wickets at an impressive economy of 4.87. The left-arm pacer also featured recently in the ODI series against Pakistan, where he took five wickets in three games at an economy rate of 5.28, including three wickets.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
02 Apr 2026 18:55 IST
