Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have found themselves at the center of a fiery political storm following their acquisition of Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman for the 2026 IPL season.
The left-arm fast bowler was secured for a whopping ₹9.20 crore at the Abu Dhabi auction late last year.
While the signing makes cricketing sense for the three-time champions, it has sparked outrage among political and religious leaders, who cited ongoing reports of violence against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.
“Traitor” Labels and Airport Threats
The controversy has largely targeted KKR co-owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.
According to ANI, Sangeet Som (BJP) called Shah Rukh Khan a “traitor” and warned that Mustafizur Rahman “may face issues at the airport,” Jagadguru Swami Rambhadracharya described the signing as “unfortunate,” and spiritual leader Devkinandan Thakur urged KKR to cancel the deal and donate the money to families of victims in Bangladesh.
BCCI response
A senior BCCI official told Inside Sport, “The situation is sensitive, and we are in constant contact with the government. Currently, there is no reason to impose a ban on Bangladeshi players.”
On the field, Mustafizur is a valuable asset for KKR. He is the only Bangladeshi player picked for this season and brings experience and to the squad. “However, strictly from a sporting perspective, his impact would likely have been limited. Given the depth of KKR’s bowling line-up, Rahman was unlikely to feature in many matches this season
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