The pressure is rising on Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan to drop a Bangladeshi cricketer signed by his IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the wake of atrocities on Hindus being reported from
the neighbouring country.
KKR had signed Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman for IPL 2026 for Rs 9.20 crore in the latest mini-auction. A death-overs specialist, Rahman has previously played in eight IPL seasons, and has represented Bangladesh in 257 internationals.
The opposition to Rahman’s participation in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) first came from BJP leader Sangeet Som who questioned the left-arm pacer’s inclusion amid attacks on minority Hindus in turmoil-hit Bangladesh. Calling Shah Rukh Khan a “traitor” at a public event in Meerut, the former legislator also demanded a ban on all Bangladeshi players in the IPL. Following Som, Hindu spiritual leader Jagadguru Rambhadracharya also called Shah Rukh Khan a “traitor”.
The opposition to allowing Bangladeshi players in IPL found support online with hashtags like #BoycottKKR and #BoycottIPL trending on social media. KKR, Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) or the IPL authorities are yet to issue official statements on the controversy.
So how much of a loss would losing Mustafizur Rahman be for KKR? Strictly from a sporting perspective, not much. Given the depth of KKR’s bowling line-up, it seemed unlikely that Rahman would have played too many games in the season. Moreover, he was anyway expected to miss matches between April 16 and 23, 2026.
But what about financial consequences for KKR and Rahman? Let’s find out…
What Are The Rules For Players’ Contracts In IPL?
BCCI has strict rules about player contracts in the IPL. It can ban any player for valid reasons, but Mustafizur Rahman’s case is different because there’s no rule on banning a player because of political protests.
Would KKR Have To Pay Rahman Anyway?
In case the backlash intensifies and KKR is forced to drop Rahman, will it still have to pay the Bangladeshi pacer Rs 9.2 crore? It’s important to note that there is a ‘no play, no play’ rule in the IPL.
So, what is the ‘no play, no pay’ rule? If a player is bought in the auction but leaves the tournament without playing a single match, he doesn’t get paid, even if it’s due to injury.
So, if Mustafizur Rahman himself withdraws from IPL before the season starts, KKR won’t have to pay him. But if KKR decide to remove Rahman, things get tricky. After the auction, a formal contract is signed between the player and the franchise. If the player isn’t injured and is available, the franchise has to pay him even if they don’t play him.
However, in many cases, such contracts are cancelled by mutual agreement to avoid financial loss.
The only cases where franchises are not required to pay is if the player is banned from IPL for reasons like match-fixing, breaking anti-corruption rules, doping, violating the code of conduct, talking to other teams or leagues without permission, or playing in foreign leagues without an NOC.
