Who Is Mustafizur Rahman? Bangladesh Pacer At The Centre Of Major IPL Controversy After KKR's Rs 9.20 Crore Bid

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have come under the scanner over their signing of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction last month. Recently, there have been repeated violent incidents occurring against religious minorities in Bangladesh, sparking arguments that KKR's newest recruit shouldn't be part of IPL 2026. Last month, a bidding war broke out between Chennai and KKR for Mustafizur during the mini-auction in Abu Dhabi. Ultimately, the 30-year-old, who had a base price of Rs 2 crore, was bought by Kolkata for Rs 9.20 crore, making him the most expensive Bangladeshi player in IPL history.

Mustafizur has 158 wickets in 126 International T20 matches with an economy rate of 7.20. In the IPL, he has taken 65 wickets in 60 matches with an economy rate of 8.13.

Mustafizur made his IPL debut in 2016, helping SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) lift their first and only title so far. After two seasons in Hyderabad, he moved to Mumbai Indians before IPL 2018. He then joined Rajasthan Royals in 2021 after missing the previous two seasons owing to injuries and form. However, he was on the move again the following year, joining Delhi Capitals (DC).

After two seasons with DC, he was roped in by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2024. But the player was released by CSK after the team failed to qualify for the playoffs that year. Last year, DC signed him as an injury replacement for Australia batter Jake Fraser-McGurk. The player entered the auction again last month, where he was signed by KKR for a whopping sum of Rs 9.20 crore.

The remaining six Bangladeshi players-Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam, and Rakibul Hasan-remained unsold at the auction table. Reports in the media have stated that, according to the BCCI, there was no ban on Bangladeshi players for the auction.

Topics mentioned in this article

Kolkata Knight Riders Bangladesh Cricket Team Mustafizur Rahman IPL 2026 Cricket