After the BCCI directed the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release their Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their squad ahead of IPL 2026, the Bangla Tigers have begun retaliating, as Asif Nazrul, an advisor to the Bangladesh government, has stated that IPL 2026 will not be broadcast in Bangladesh.

This comes after Mustafizur’s inclusion in the KKR squad for IPL 2026 saw protests in India, especially after the atrocities being committed against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.

Following a BCCI request, the Knight Riders chose to release the left-arm pacer. However, this appears to be merely the beginning of deteriorating cricket relations between the two countries.

Asif Nazrul, a Bangladesh government advisor, has previously requested that his country's T20 World Cup 2026 matches be relocated from India to Sri Lanka, similar to the situation with Pakistan.

In fact, Nazrul stated that he has urged the adviser to Bangladesh's Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) to suspend the IPL transmission in Bangladesh.

"I have requested the adviser for Information and Broadcasting to ensure that the broadcast of the IPL in Bangladesh is also suspended. Under no circumstances will we tolerate any insult to Bangladeshi cricket, its cricketers, or the country of Bangladesh itself. The days of servitude are over," Nazrul stated, as per PTI.

A PTI report claimed that when India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited the funeral of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in Dhaka, there was a sense of astonishment in the BCB corridors that things took such a drastic turn.

"The BCB announced the schedule for India's tour of Bangladesh because there was a sense of positivity, but now we need to get an official confirmation from the Indian board as to why Mustafizur's contract was cancelled. Till now, BCCI hasn't communicated anything to BCB officially. Only after official communication will BCB decide on a further course of action," a BCB source told PTI.

Several people of the Hindu minority have been killed in Bangladesh, and pressure was building on BCCI over Mustafizur Rahman’s participation in the IPL.

Shah Rukh Khan, a Bollywood actor and co-owner of KKR, has also come under fire. A number of MPs from the ruling BJP and other parties have questioned the decision to include the bowler in the current situation.

Rahman has featured in eight IPL editions since 2016, missing the tournament only in 2019 and 2020. He was bought by KKR for INR 9.20 crores in the IPL 2026 auction in December.

(PTI inputs)