KATHMANDU Jan 4: Bangladesh has called for its matches at the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to be shifted out of India following the exclusion of national fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The controversy erupted after IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) dropped Rahman from their squad, a decision that has drawn sharp criticisms in Bangladesh. In response, Bangladesh’s Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul said he had instructed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to formally write to the International Cricket Council (ICC) requesting that Bangladesh’s World Cup fixtures be relocated from India to Sri Lanka.
Pakistan’s historic win against India in the World Cup
In a strongly worded post on social media, Nazrul accused the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of bowing to “communal forces,” calling the decision to remove Mustafizur “completely unacceptable.” He condemned the move and expressed deep anger over what he described as the politicisation of sport.
Bangladesh has been drawn in Group C of the T20 World Cup alongside Nepal, adding further regional interest to the issue. The tournament is scheduled to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, beginning on February 7.
While neither the BCCI nor KKR has publicly responded to the allegations, the episode has intensified debate over the intersection of politics and cricket, with Dhaka’s demand threatening to add a diplomatic dimension to the build-up to the global tournament.
