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Why was Mustafizur Rahman released from his contract for the Indian Premier League 2026?

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Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman, who was initially signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, was excluded from the franchise’s squad after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in January 2026 instructed KKR to release Rahman from his player contract, citing security concerns and threats from extremist groups in India against Bangladeshi players’ participation in the tournament. The situation escalated because of diplomatic disputes between India and Bangladesh in 2025 and early 2026. A few days after Rahman’s contract was voided, the Bangladeshi government announced that it would ban the telecast of IPL 2026 in its country. The Bangladeshi cricket team also refused to travel to India to play in the ICC Men’s 2026 T20 World Cup and was replaced by Scotland. (Read: Why is Bangladesh not playing in the T20 World Cup?)