Ashraful said the issue should never have reached this point and reiterated that cricket should remain confined to the field.

Indian politician and current Member of Parliament (MP) Shashi Tharoor called out the BCCI for ‘deplorably’ forcing Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman’s removal from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad for IPL 2026, doubling down on his belief that politics should not be dragged into sports.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) heeded to the mounting pressure from politicians and religious groups in the country and instructed the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has told Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman from their squad for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), report several Indian media.

Bangladesh left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman etched his name into the record books by becoming the fastest pacer to claim 400 wickets in T20 cricket during a Bangladesh Premier League match in Sylhet on Friday.

The Bangladesh pace duo is expected to return home on Thursday to join their respective Bangladesh Premier League T20 sides.

The presence of three Bangladeshi players in different leagues at the same time hints at a positive shift in this regard -- at least for the bowlers.

Shakib produced an all-round performance to help MI Emirates secure a four-wicket win over Desert Vipers at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. 

By general consensus, the Lord's in London is regarded as the Mecca of cricket, but in terms of significance, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) -- which hosted the first-ever Test -- isn't too far behind.

There is a long-standing perception that Mustafizur Rahman has not been the same since undergoing a shoulder surgery in 2016.

Bangladesh ace pacer Mustafizur Rahman has been granted the ‘maximum’ possible no-objection certificate (NOC) to take part in the upcoming Indian Premier League, which is scheduled to begin in March next year.

Najmul Hossain Shanto was delighted to hear about his Bangladesh teammate Mustafizur Rahman getting a team in Tuesday’s Indian Premier League (IPL) auction in Abu Dhabi, but remained unsure whether he could extort a treat from the left-arm pacer.

Alongside Mustafizur, Kolkata also acquired Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana (INR 18 crore) and Australian all-rounder Cameron Green (INR 25.20 crore) from the mini-auction.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) auction will be held on December 16 in Abu Dhabi, with the BCCI finalising a list of 350 players -- both domestic and overseas. Seven Bangladeshi players have made the shortlist, with only left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman having prior experience in the tournament. All seven Bangladeshis are bowlers.

Parvez Hossain Emon (up 21 places to 38th) and Tawhid Hridoy (up five spots to equal 42nd) made gains up the rankings for T20I batters, with Mustafizur Rahman moving up two rungs to eighth on the list for ICC T20I bowlers following Bangladesh’s 2-1 series win against Ireland at home.

According to ESPNcricinfo, the IPL released a long list of 1,355 players on Monday after the registration deadline closed on November 30.

For Mustafizur, it was another night of quiet excellence -- and another reminder that brilliance with the ball means little without support from the bat.

Ace left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman surpassed Shakib Al Hasan to become Bangladesh’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is, also becoming only the fourth bowler in the world to register 150 T20I wickets.

Mustafizur Rahman, often called the Cutter Master, burst onto the scene in international cricket a decade ago with the magical brilliance of his cutters.

Mustafiz remains the only overseas player to win the IPL’s Emerging Player award.