Mustafizur Rahman row: Did BCCI offer Bangladesh pacer return to IPL? BCB clarifies

Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman’s release from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad for the IPL 2026 season has led to a dispute between the cricket boards of India and Bangladesh.

Mustafizur, who was bought for Rs 9.20 crore at the auction last month, was released from the squad, a move that upset the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). In recent days, reports on social media suggested that the BCCI was considering reversing the decision, but the BCB president has denied those claims.




BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul responded to reports that the BCCI had offered to allow Mustafizur to return to the IPL 2026 amid the ongoing issue between the two boards.

After Mustafizur’s exit from the IPL was confirmed, relations between the BCCI and the BCB worsened on several fronts. Bangladesh has stopped the telecast of IPL matches in the country until further notice and has also refused to travel to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Some reports claimed that senior BCCI officials were not consulted before the decision to release Mustafizur and that the instruction came from the top level of the board. As speculation grew about a possible change in stance by the BCCI, Bulbul rejected the reports.

"I have not had any written or verbal discussions (with the BCCI) regarding Mustafizur's (return to the IPL). I have not spoken to anyone from my board about this. There is no truth to this news," Bulbul was quoted as saying by Ajker Patrika.

After Mustafizur’s release, the BCB informed the International Cricket Council that it would not play its matches in India during the T20 World Cup 2026, citing security concerns, and asked for the games to be shifted to co-host Sri Lanka.

The T20 World Cup is set to begin on February 7. Bangladesh are scheduled to play four matches, three in Kolkata and one in Mumbai. The ICC has not yet indicated any plan to move Bangladesh’s fixtures from Kolkata and Mumbai to Colombo.

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