On Mustafizur Rahman’s KKR exit, BJP allies caution: ‘Don’t mix cricket and politics’

Some BJP allies, including JD(U) and TDP leaders, have expressed reservations over the decision to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad, which the IPL franchise said was taken in accordance with a directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). A BJP source also said decisions that worsen ties could have been avoided.

The decision came amid escalated bilateral tensions between India and Bangladesh over the past few weeks after a Hindu man was lynched and burned to death in Bangladesh following allegations of blasphemy. Last month, India’s Ministry of External Affairs had condemned what it called “unremitting hostility against minorities”.

However, JD(U) adviser K C Tyagi on Tuesday said cricket and politics should not be mixed. Tyagi told The Indian Express, “First, cricket and politics should not be mixed. We understand that cricketing ties between India and Bangladesh are not possible under the given circumstances, but cricket could still have been kept out of politics.”

TDP leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu also said there should be attempts to improve India-Bangladesh relations, instead of worsening it. “Both countries had very good relations. Now, with some strain on it, we need to work on it to improve the ties. There are a lot of avenues we can work on, like trade and sports, etc,” he told The Indian Express.

Sources in the government and the BJP said decisions that affect the already-strained relationship between the two countries could have been avoided. “We should differentiate between Pakistan and Bangladesh. Any move that could escalate tension between the neighbours could have been avoided,” said a senior leader.

The decision to oust Mustafizur Rahman from KKR has resulted in Bangladesh’s decision to refuse travel to India for the T20 World Cup 2026, citing security concerns. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate Bangladesh’s matches from India to Sri Lanka. The ICC is mediating between the BCCI and BCB, and a decision is awaited. The strained ties have also resulted in Bangladesh’s decision to not send umpires to India for the World Cup.

Amid allegations that the KKR player was released due to pressure exerted by religious leaders angry at the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh, JD(U)’s Tyagi said, “Who are these religious preachers to issue a fatwa against Shah Rukh Khan (a co-owner of KKR). It smacks of religious bias. Why did they not muster the same courage to criticise actress Juhi Chawla and her businessman husband, Jay Mehta, who together are 45% stakeholders of KKR?”

Tyagi said his remarks were in the capacity of a “vigilant” Indian citizen and not as a JD(U) leader. He said he just wanted to “lodge his protest” against “growing acrimony on cricket fields”.

“We understand India’s decision not to play against Pakistan, because of the country’s track record of sending terrorists. But what is happening of late between India and Bangladesh is unfortunate,” Tyagi said, while also condemning the killing of Hindus in Bangladesh.

JD(U) national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad, however, said, “The party’s official stand is clear. What the BCCI and KKR did was a reaction to a chain of incidents against the Hindu minority. The Mohammed Yunus government has failed to rein in fundamentalist forces, leading to the current situation.”

JD(U) MLC and chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said it was up to the BCCI to decide if it wants to continue cricketing ties with Bangladesh. “We do condemn atrocities against the Hindus there, but the BCCI has to think over if India and Bangladesh can still play cricket on neutral venues till tensions between the two countries subside,” said Kumar.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also questioned the removal of Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL. He asked on Tuesday whether forcing out an individual player would improve the situation in Bangladesh or strengthen India-Bangladesh relations.

He warned that the move could instead further deepen mistrust instead of helping improve the situation for minorities in the neighbouring country.

“What is the fault of that poor player? I agree that our relations with Pakistan are very bad. What did the people of Bangladesh do to us? All our relations with the people of Bangladesh were good. They are still good. Bangladesh did not spread terrorism in our country. They did not destroy us. We had close relations,” Abdullah told reporters in Jammu.