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Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman remains unfazed amid the ongoing row over his snub from the Indian Premier League (IPL). Mustafizur was released by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) from their IPL 2026 squad earlier this month following a direction from the BCCI. The move came amid strained bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh due to continuous violence against Hindu minorities in the country.
BCCI cited 'latest developments' as the reason behind the move after facing heavy backlash on social media for allowing a Bangladeshi player to feature in the IPL despite the ongoing violence against Hindus in the country. Mustafizur's release soon snowballed into a full-blown controversy as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) retaliated by refusing to travel to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026.
BCB formally wrote to the ICC, requesting the world body to shift their matches out of India in the tournament, citing security reasons. In a shocking move, the Bangladesh government also banned the broadcast of IPL matches in the country. Amidst the ongoing controversy, Mustafizur is focused on playing for Rangpur Riders in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2026.
Mohammad Ashraful, the assistant coach of Rangpur Riders, revealed Mustafizur remains unfazed and has not let the talks surrounding his IPL snub affect his performances in the league. He praised the pacer after he helped the Riders secure a huge win over the Dhaka Capitals in the league on Sunday.
"He (Mustafizur) is completely chill. He is not worried at all about all the off-field talk - whether it's BCB, India, BPL or ICC," said Ashraful, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
"Right now he is focused on playing for Rangpur Riders and after this whatever assignment comes next, he will focus on that. He is a person of a different level," he added.
Mustafizur has been in fine form with the ball for the Rangpur Riders in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League. The left-arm pacer has so far picked up 9 wickets for his team in five matches and is joint-second on the list of the highest wicket-takers of the season so far.
An online meeting was scheduled between ICC and the Bangladesh Cricket Board on Tuesday to discuss the board's request to shift their matches out of India in the T20 World Cup 2026. However, the planned online meeting was delayed. It is expected to take place later this week.
ICC is open to considering the Bangladesh Cricket Board's request, but might try to convince the board to play their matches in India as per the current schedule. Shifting their matches to Sri Lanka with just a month left for the World Cup to start can prove to be a logistical nightmare for the ICC.
