The Indian Premier League 2026 season will be without any Bangladeshi player as the Board of Control for Cricket in India has instructed Kolkata Knight
Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman.
KKR won't be able to play Mustafizur in IPL 2026 due to recent geopolitical tensions between India and Bangladesh. KKR had bought the 30-year-old left-armer for Rs 9.20 crore in a fierce auction battle last month, marking his return after playing for multiple IPL teams since 2016.
A white-ball series, postponed last year, is rescheduled by BCB for September 2026 in Bangladesh, but BCCI remains non-committal due to security issues. KKR can seek a replacement player if needed. The sanction comes amid the ongoing worsening of relations between the two countries, which have been deteriorating since last year.
The recent barbaric Hindu killings in the country has further strained the issue, and amid huge pressure and widespread criticism, the BCCI has come up with the decision. But Mustafizur is not the only one, as multiple players have been banned from IPL over the years-
Pakistani Players in 2009
The entire Pakistan contingent in the IPL was banned after the Mumbai Attacks in 2008. And since then, Pakistan have been completely ousted from the IPL fray. Salman Butt, Mohammad Hafeez, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Akhtar and many more used to be part of the IPL teams back then.
Muttiah Muralitharan banned in Chennai in 2013
In 2013, Tamil Nadu CM J. Jayalalithaa wrote to PM Manmohan Singh, demanding no Sri Lankan players, including CSK's Muttiah Muralitharan, play IPL matches in Chennai due to public anger over alleged Sri Lankan war crimes against Tamils. This political directive forced BCCI/IPL to bar all Sri Lankans from Chepauk games, impacting CSK's home fixtures. Muralitharan called it "sad," stressing players' innocence in political matters. CSK complied, unable to field him locally amid protests and UNHRC debates, highlighting sport-politics tensions.
Luke Pomersbach in 2012
Luke Pomersbach faced an IPL suspension in 2012 while playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). On May 17, 2012, Delhi police detained him after a US national accused him of molesting her and assaulting her fiance at the team hotel post an RCB vs Delhi Daredevils match. He was charged under IPC sections for molestation, assault, and trespass, granted interim bail, but surrendered his passport. He was immediately suspended by RCB.
