Bangladesh former captain Tamim Iqbal said on Thursday that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) needs to consider the interests and future of Bangladesh cricket before making a decision regarding the T20 World Cup. The BCB has conveyed that it wants Bangladesh’s matches to be held in Sri Lanka instead of India.

Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman’s exclusion from the Indian Premier League (IPL) has sparked widespread discussion in recent days. The issue has also triggered a series of off-field developments, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) even holding talks with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the possibility of relocating their upcoming ICC T20 World Cup matches from India.

Off-field battles in cricket are nothing new, but this time, off-field politics has shaken the cricketing world, with Bangladesh firmly at the centre of attention.

Days after Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was removed from the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has “welcomed” the left-arm pacer for the 11th edition of the franchise-based T20 tournament.

Bangladesh pacer Tanzim Sakib has admitted that he may have to rethink the prospect of entering the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction next season following Kolkata Knight Riders’ decision to release Mustafizur Rahman upon instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The decision to ask IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was not the result of deliberations within the Indian cricket board, nor was the Indian Premier League’s governing council consulted on the matter, The Indian Express has reported.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam said on Monday that the board does not feel safe sending the national team to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup scheduled for next month.

The uproar over Mustafizur Rahman’s shock removal from the IPL by the BCCI on Saturday is far from over, with calls from Bangladesh to shift its matches from India to Sri Lanka for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026, set to begin on February 7, only getting louder.

Speaking to The Daily Star’s sports reporter Ekush Tapader, the former Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director warned that politics and unclear processes are widening the gap between Bangladesh and India, urging cricket authorities to act decisively.

The development overshadowed a scheduled rest day in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20.

Law and Sports Adviser of the interim government, Dr Asif Nazrul, has strongly protested the directive to remove Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on political grounds.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has expressed deep disappointment over Mustafizur Rahman’s removal from the Indian Premier League but believes there is no immediate option to seek a change of venue for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

How much will Bangladesh ace pacer Mustafizur Rahman earn after being removed from the Indian Premier League?

Ashraful said the issue should never have reached this point and reiterated that cricket should remain confined to the field.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has told Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman from their squad for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), report several Indian media.

West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder capped a remarkable 2025 by becoming the most prolific wicket-taker in T20 cricket in a single calendar year, breaking a long-standing record held by Afghanistan’s spin king Rashid Khan.

Alongside Mustafizur, Kolkata also acquired Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana (INR 18 crore) and Australian all-rounder Cameron Green (INR 25.20 crore) from the mini-auction.

Australia all-rounder Cameron Green became the most expensive overseas buy in Indian Premier League history, with a winning bid of 252 million rupees at auction on Tuesday.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is expected to take place from March 26 to May 31, according to a report by ESPNCricinfo, although the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet to officially confirm the schedule or announce the dates

The Indian Premier League (IPL) auction will be held on December 16 in Abu Dhabi, with the BCCI finalising a list of 350 players -- both domestic and overseas. Seven Bangladeshi players have made the shortlist, with only left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman having prior experience in the tournament. All seven Bangladeshis are bowlers.