As a retaliatory move after Mustafizur Rahman was released by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on instructions by the BCCI, the Bangladesh government’s information and broadcasting ministry ordered a complete ban on telecasts of the IPL in the country.
Rahman was released from the KKR squad on orders of the BCCI in the wake of the ongoing atrocities that are being committed on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. There was much opposition from multiple sectors in India to KKR buying a Bangladeshi player in the recent IPL 2026 auction in December.
In response, not only has the Bangladesh Cricket Board asked the ICC to move their matches of the T20 World Cup 2026 from India, but the Bangladesh government has also banned IPL’s telecast in the country indefinitely.
Will losing Bangladesh on TV hurt the IPL's business? Three industry experts mentioned by Business Standard argue that the short-term impact should be minor.
“I don’t see this move, banning IPL broadcasts in Bangladesh, having a big impact. It doesn’t affect BCCI’s revenue, nor does it change what the broadcaster would pay,” said Santosh N, managing partner at D&P Advisory Services, a valuation service provider, to Business Standard.
He noted that viewership will most likely remain unaffected, given that just two or three Bangladeshi players have competed in prior IPL seasons.
N Chandramouli, chief executive officer of TRA Research, agreed, stating that while Bangladesh has a strong cricket squad, the broadcaster's revenue is unlikely to be affected.
“Any revenue loss will likely be offset by other brands stepping in. The IPL continues to grow, and existing sponsors may increase their advertising in the upcoming seasons,” he said.
Ajimon Francis of Brand Finance estimates that if the restriction remains in place, the net impact will be "less than 2%," meaning that the greater pain will be felt by the Bangladesh-side ad inventory rather than the IPL's core rights payment.
Since the IPL's 2023–2027 media-rights cycle is legally set at INR 48,390.32 crore, the immediate BCCI hit appears to be nearly zero. According to insiders, T Sports, the owner of the IPL rights in Bangladesh, has a contract that keeps them in place until 2027. Even if matches aren't shown, payments must still be made.
