Masood Uz Zafar Amini, the coach of India batter Rinku Singh, expressed that the decision made by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is one that everyone must respect.
This follows the Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) release of Rahman from their squad for the 2026 IPL based on instructions from the BCCI due to recent developments. In recent days, various spiritual and political figures criticized KKR and team owner Shah Rukh Khan for acquiring Rahman at the auction in Abu Dhabi amid reports of attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.
“If the BCCI has given permission to change the player, then it can be done. But Mustafizur Rahman is a cricketer first; Hindu or Muslim comes later. Other teams in the IPL had also bid for Mustafizur, so as KKR and they eventually took him in. I would like to say that he is a player first and any religion is later. So whatever is the decision of the BCCI, it has to be accepted,” Amini stated.
“There should be no politics with players. Playing and politics are different things. People of every religion live and such incidents keep happening. But this should not be associated with the game. However, it’s a decision of the nation and since the BCCI has taken a decision, we have to abide by it,” Amini added.
Rahman was acquired by KKR in the IPL auction in December 2025 for Rs 9.2 crore. He previously played for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Mumbai Inddigihunt (MI), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Delhi Capitals (DC), and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). So far, he has taken 65 wickets in 60 matches since the competition’s 2016 edition.