Tensions between India and Bangladesh escalate in international cricket matches

Bangladesh Cricketer Released from IPL Amid Bilateral Tensions

A directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on January 3, 2026, resulted in the termination of Bangladesh’s only cricketer in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Mustafizur Rahman. The Kolkata Knight Riders franchise was instructed to release Rahman before the IPL season began.

The BCCI cited “developments all around” as the reason for the decision, which is widely understood to be linked to soaring tensions between India and Bangladesh since ousted former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received exile in New Delhi in August 2024. Rahman had signed with KKR for 9.2 million Indian rupees ($1m) before the IPL season.

The consequences of the BCCI’s decision were immediate, with Rahman accepting an offer from the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The PSL confirmed his participation on January 21, and he will return to the tournament after eight years.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) protested the BCCI’s intervention, calling it “discriminatory and insulting”. Dhaka escalated the matter by asking the International Cricket Council (ICC) to move Bangladesh’s matches from the upcoming T20 World Cup to Sri Lanka due to security concerns. The Bangladeshi government also banned the broadcast of the IPL nationwide.

The ICC has assured the BCB that Bangladesh will participate in the T20 World Cup, but the team’s matches remain scheduled for India. Navneet Rana, a BJP leader, stated that no Bangladeshi cricketer or celebrity should be “entertained in India” while Hindus and minorities are being targeted in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, Indian Congress leader Shashi Tharoor questioned the decision to release Rahman, warning against politicising sport and punishing individual players for developments in another country. The Mustafizur controversy highlights how cricket has become increasingly intertwined with politics in South Asia.

Source: Al Jazeera