Senior officials within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Indian Premier League (IPL) administration were reportedly unaware of the decision to ask Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman, according to a report by The Indian Express.
The report said the move was not discussed within the BCCI’s regular decision-making channels, nor was the IPL governing council consulted. Instead, the call was taken at the highest level of the board, surprising even those directly involved in IPL operations.
A senior BCCI official, who is also associated with the IPL, told The Indian Express that the development came to light only after it was reported publicly.
“We ourselves came to know about this through the media. There was no discussion and no suggestion was taken from our side,” the official was quoted as saying.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had earlier defended the board’s stance, stating on Saturday that the decision was linked to broader circumstances.
“Due to the recent developments that are going on all across, the BCCI has instructed the franchise KKR to release one of their players, Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh, from their squad,” Saikia said.
The move sparked a strong backlash in Bangladesh. It led Bangladesh to reconsider travelling to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup due to security concerns.
On Monday, the country’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced a ban on the broadcast of IPL matches, saying the decision to release Mustafizur had “hurt and angered the citizens of Bangladesh.”
Mustafizur had been signed by KKR after a competitive bidding war with Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals at this year’s IPL auction. The left-arm fast bowler was bought for Rs 9.20 crore, making him the most expensive Bangladeshi player in IPL history. Notably, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had granted him a no-objection certificate (NOC) to participate in the IPL following a request from the BCCI.
