Bangladesh halts IPL broadcasts after Mustafizur Rahman released by KKR

Independent.co reports Bangladesh’s information and broadcasting ministry has ordered all broadcasts of the Indian Premier League to stop after fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was released by the Kolkata Knight Riders, a move the source says followed an order from the Indian cricketing authorities.

The ministry said the decision to drop Rahman had “pained, saddened, and aggrieved the people of Bangladesh” and noted the Board of Control for Cricket in India had given no reason for the exclusion. The outlet says this is the first time since the IPL began in 2008 that broadcasters will not show the competition in Bangladesh, amid wider diplomatic tensions that escalated after the summer of 2024 uprising that toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her subsequent move to Delhi. The report also links the row to protests following a December killing of a Bangladeshi Hindu man and ensuing demonstrations and accusations across the border.

Bangladesh’s cricket board said it will not send its team to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup, set to begin on 7 February, and has asked the International Cricket Council to move its matches to a neutral venue such as Sri Lanka to protect participants. The BCCI’s secretary, Devajit Saikia, defended instructing Kolkata Knight Riders to release Rahman and said the franchise may request a replacement; the 19th IPL season starts on 26 March.

Key Topics

Sports, Mustafizur Rahman, Kolkata Knight Riders, Bcci, Bangladesh Cricket Board, Shah Rukh Khan