Bangladesh on Monday banned the broadcast of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season, citing the removal of pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the tournament. The decision followed instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release the Bangladesh fast bowler from their 2026 squad.The IPL season is scheduled to begin on March 26.
The ban came a day after Bangladesh decided not to travel to India for next month’s T20 World Cup and asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to move all of its group matches to Sri Lanka, the tournament’s co-host.
What Bangladesh government said
“It has come to attention that Mustafizur Rahman, a star player from Bangladesh, has been instructed to be dropped from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team for the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches,” the Bangladesh government said in an official statement.“No logical reason for such a decision (Rahman’s release) by the BCCI is known, and such a decision has saddened, hurt, and aggrieved the people of Bangladesh,” the notification said.“In this situation, until further notice, it is requested by order to stop the broadcasting/telecasting of all matches and programs of the Indian Premier League (IPL). This order is issued with the approval of the proper authority and in the public interest,” the release added.Earlier, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the decision to ask KKR to release Rahman was taken due to “developments all around,” without giving further details.Relations between India and Bangladesh have been under strain since the removal of former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August 2024 after anti-government protests. She was later sentenced to death in absentia by a tribunal over her alleged role in a crackdown during the protests, in which several students were killed. Violence against minorities has been reported since her removal.
