Shashi Tharoor Slams BCCI : Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has once again taken on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over its decision to force Kolkata Knight Riders to drop Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their squad for the upcoming IPL 2026 season. Calling the move unfair and politically motivated, Tharoor said cricket should not become a casualty of diplomatic tensions between India and Bangladesh.
The controversy comes at a time when relations between the two countries have become strained following reports of violence against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. In this charged atmosphere, the BCCI directed KKR to release Mustafizur Rahman, even though the player had been selected from the official IPL pool approved by the board itself. This has sparked widespread debate in both sporting and political circles.
Reacting strongly, Tharoor described the decision as “absolutely appalling” and said it made no sense from a cricketing perspective. He pointed out that IPL franchises are allowed to pick players only from a list cleared by the BCCI. If Mustafizur Rahman was part of that list, there was no justification for objecting to KKR’s choice later. According to him, this contradiction exposes the flawed reasoning behind the move.
Tharoor also acknowledged that emotions are running high in both countries due to reports of unrest in Bangladesh. However, he stressed that the Indian government is engaged in diplomatic efforts to stabilise the situation ahead of the Bangladesh elections. Dragging cricket into this sensitive political phase, he said, only complicates matters further.
One of Tharoor’s strongest statements came when he rejected comparisons between Bangladesh and Pakistan. He made it clear that Bangladesh is not a hostile state in the same way Pakistan has been in the past. Unlike Pakistan, Bangladesh has not been accused of sending terrorists across the border, and India continues to maintain active diplomatic engagement with Dhaka. Treating Bangladesh like Pakistan in sporting matters, Tharoor argued, is both misleading and damaging to long-term regional relations.
The Congress leader also defended Mustafizur Rahman as an individual sportsperson. He said the Bangladeshi pacer has not been accused of hate speech, violence, or supporting any attacks on minorities. Holding him responsible for political developments in his country, Tharoor said, is unfair and goes against the spirit of international sport.
He further warned that isolating neighbouring countries through sporting restrictions does not help India’s broader interests. Cricket, he said, has always been a bridge between nations and should not be turned into a political weapon.
With the IPL being one of the world’s biggest sporting leagues, the Mustafizur Rahman episode has now grown into a larger debate about how far politics should be allowed to influence professional sport. As IPL 2026 approaches, the BCCI faces increasing scrutiny over whether it will stand by its decision or reconsider in the face of growing criticism.