IPL chairman Arun Dhumal breaks silence on Mustafizur Rahman's ‘unfortunate’ ouster; ‘I do not have much knowledge’

Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Arun Dhumal finally broke his silence on the the whole Mustafizur Rahman row before the ongoing edition, which had an impact in the T20 World Cup 2026 as well. After being bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the mini-auction last December for a whopping ₹9.20 crore, the three-time champions were directed by the BCCI to remove the Bangladesh pacer from the world's richest league.

“I would only say it was unfortunate. Beyond that, I do not have much knowledge,” Dhumal was quoted as saying to Financial Times. After Mustafizur was bought by KKR, several religious institutions pointed fingers at team owner Shahrukh Khan, even calling the Bollywood superstar a "traitor".

The remarks came amid the tensions between India and Bangladesh. On January 3, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia cited “recent developments” behind his removal. “Due to the recent developments that are going on all across, BCCI has instructed the franchise KKR to release one of their players, Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh, from their squad,” Saikia said.

While the decision about Mustafizur is believed to have come from the top level, Dhumal reiterated that the Indian government doesn't interfere in the day-to-day functioning of cricket. “It is unfortunate, I would say, the way things unfold at times. I do not think the government has any interest or any role to play in running cricket day to day.

"The government is supportive of cricket at large,” added Dhumal. “But, yes, sometimes events happen around us and decisions follow. I am sure good sense will prevail and that this will not be the case going forward.”

Consequences of Mustafizur Rahman's removal

As a result, the decision didn't go well with the Bangladesh government. Following Mustafizur's removal from IPL, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refused to send its players to India to play in the T20 World Cup 2026 and urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift their games to Stri Lanka. But BCB stayed adamant, thus forcing ICC to replace Bangladesh with Scotland in the mega event.

The KKR, on the whole episode, stated that Mustafizur's release was in accordance with BCCI's instructions. Left out of IPL, Mustafizur then signed for Lahore Qalandars for PKR 6.44 crore (approximately ₹2 crore). So far, Mustafizur has taken two wickets in PSL 2026 in two matches.

Mustafizur Rahman in IPL

Having made his IPL debut in 2016 with Sunrisers Hyderabad, the left-arm pacer played for four more teams in the tournament - Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings, taking 65 wickets in total in 60 matches.

In IPL 2025, Mustafizur played for Delhi Capitals just three matches for four wickets. The major highlight of his IPL career came in 2016, where he took 17 wickets in 16 matches and played a crucial part in Sunrisers Hyderabad's title-winning campaign.

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