A fresh storm has hit the Indian Premier League (IPL) even before the 2026 season begins, with Kolkata Knight Riders (KK) and co-owner Shah Rukh Khan, who is also a Bollywood icon, finding themselves at the center of heated political and social media debates.
KKR and Shahrukh Khan faced harsh backlash for signing Mustafizur Rahman
Before IPL 2026, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Shahrukh Khan are embroiled in a controversy. In fact, in the recent IPL auction 2026 held in Abu Dhabi, controversy arose after KKR signed Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman for Rs 9.20 crore.
The left-arm fast bowler’s signing has sparked a fierce political and social media storm, raising questions about geopolitics and fan sentiments amid the unrest in Bangladesh.
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Mustafizur Rahman’s signing sparked controversy
Mustafizur Rahman, who specializes in death overs bowling, brings with him a huge amount of experience, having played eight IPL seasons in the past and representing Bangladesh in 257 international matches. However, his signing has drawn sharp criticism due to reports of violence against Hindus in Bangladesh.
In the recent IPL mini-auction, KKR strengthened their death bowling by securing experienced Mustafizur Rahman. Rahman, a specialist in death overs bowling, brings with him a lot of experience, having played eight IPL seasons in the past and representing Bangladesh in 257 international matches.
However, the move was widely criticized, with critics linking it to reports of communal unrest in Bangladesh. In particular, Hindu minorities have been targeted by Bangladeshis under the interim government, with increasing mob lynching and arson attacks making it harder for them to survive there.
Call for political reaction and boycott
The controversy gained momentum when BJP leader Sangeet Som publicly questioned the inclusion of a Bangladeshi player at a sensitive time when Hindus were massacred in that country. His comment immediately sparked a political controversy and demands for a complete ban of Bangladeshi players from the IPL began to gain momentum.
Matters escalated further when Hindu spiritual leader Jagadguru Rambhadracharya also joined in the criticism, leading to direct pressure on Shah Rukh Khan and the KKR management.
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Soon after, the demand spread on social media and hashtags like #BoycottKKR and #BoycottIPL started trending online, indicating the growing anger of the public, but there has been no official response so far from KKR, BCCI or the IPL organizers on the matter.
Can Kolkata Knight Riders oust Mustafizur Rahman easily? contractual bind
From a purely cricketing point of view, KKR have bowling depth, and Mustafizur was potentially a rotational option. However, removing them for political reasons is a contractual problem. IPL works on a no-play, no-pay system. If a player withdraws from the tournament before playing a single match, the franchise does not have to pay him even in case of injury.
However, if after the auction the franchise itself decides to drop the player, then the situation becomes complicated. Once the auction ends, a formal contract is signed. If the player is fit, available and not banned, the franchise usually has to pay him even if he never plays a match.
In many past cases, teams and players have mutually agreed to cancel contracts to avoid financial loss. Franchises refrain from paying only if a player has been officially banned by the IPL for serious violations such as match-fixing, corruption, doping, violation of the code of conduct or playing in an unauthorized league without permission.