Mumbai, Jan 3 (IANS) With the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directing Kolkata Knight Riders to release their player Mustafizur Rahman from a contract to play IPL 2026, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has decided to approach ICC for a change of venue for their matches during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup that India will be hosting jointly with Sri Lanka, a news report has said.
Bangladesh are scheduled to play matches against the West Indies (Feb 7, 2026), Italy (Feb 9), and England (Feb 14) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata and Nepal (Feb 17) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
With the BCCI not allowing Mustafizur to play in India following a demand raised by some people because of the killing of Hindus by mobs in Bangladesh, the country's cricket board has expressed apprehension over the safety of its players in India and therefore sought a change of venues.
A top BCB official told Telecom Asia Sport (www.telecomasia.net) that it will be putting the ball in ICC's court following the decision taken by BCCI, as tension between the two countries is mounting with each passing day.
“I cannot make any comment regarding the release of Mustafizur as this is their internal matter, but as far as taking part in the World Cup is concerned, it is an ICC event, and they will make the final call after taking everything into consideration,” the BCB official told www.telecomasia.net.
The official said the BCB will take up the matter regarding the T20 World Cup with the ICC at the earliest and pointed out that Pakistan too has decided not to play in India after India refused to travel to their country for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told IANS that they have asked KKR to release Mustafizur from the IPL contract “due to the unrest that has developed across that country”.
“BCCI has instructed KKR to release Bangladeshi player Mustafizur Rahman from their squad. BCCI will allow them to pick any replacement player of their choice,” Saikia said.
Kolkata Knight Riders, owned by Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, later confirmed Mustafizur’s release.
“Kolkata Knight Riders confirms that BCCI or IPL, as the regulator of IPL, has instructed it to release Mustafizur Rahman from the squad ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League season. The release has been carried out following due process and consultations, upon the instruction of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. BCCI will allow Kolkata Knight Riders a replacement player in line with IPL regulations, and further details will be communicated in due course,” the franchise said in a statement.
Mustafizur, 30, was signed by Kolkata at the most recent mini-auction auction for 92 million rupees ($1.1 million), the highest price ever paid for a Bangladeshi player in the tournament.
He has previously played for five IPL franchises across eight seasons, making his debut in 2016 with Sunrisers Hyderabad. There, he helped the team win the title and was named Emerging Player of the Tournament, the report said.
The diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh have nose-dived after a mob-enforced regime change a few months ago, which has resulted in violence against Hindus in the country by mobs controlled by muslim fundamentalists.
The BCCI has recently postponed a tour by the Indian men's team to Bangladesh to play ODIs and T20s. Though the BCB has still listed the series to be played in September 2026 in its calendar, there is no hope for it to go ahead, considering the current scenario.
The BCB is also likely to raise this issue with the ICC when it engages with the sport's global governing body over the T20 World Cup venues issue.
--IANS
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