Shashi Tharoor criticises BCCI over Mustafizur Rahman’s IPL 2026 release

Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Priyank Kharge have sharply criticised the BJP and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were instructed to release Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad.

Tharoor took to X to question the rationale behind the decision and warned against mixing nationality, and sport, "Recalling my views on the subject, now that @bcci has deplorably pulled the plug on Mustafizur Rahman. And what if the Bangladeshi player in question had been Litton Das or Soumya Sarkar? Who are we punishing here: a nation, an individual, his religion? Where will this mindless politicising of sport lead us?" he wrote.

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Mustafizur had come under political scrutiny amid reports of attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. Tharoor argued that holding an individual sportsperson accountable for events in another country was unjustified.

Talking to reporters, He added, "Mustafizur Rahman is a cricketer and has nothing to do with any of these things. He has not been personally accused of any hate speech or condoning or defending any attacks. Mixing these two things is not fair."

Tharoor further cautioned against isolating neighbouring countries, stressing the long-term consequences for India. "If we become a country that isolates all of our neighbours, how does it do any good? It is purely a sporting decision, and we should not let politics come into this," he said.

Priyank Kharge slams BCCI

As per a report of the Economic Times, Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge echoed Tharoor’s stance and questioned the BCCI, ICC, and Union government’s role. "What is the point of questioning a franchise or its owner? The rules are set by the BCCI and are overseen by the ICC. Why is nobody questioning the BCCI, the ICC or the Home Minister?" he asked.

Kharge also accused the ruling establishment of selectively invoking nationalism for commercial interests. "If the BCCI really cares about people's sentiments, why are IPL auctions held outside India? Why was IPL played in Abu Dhabi during Covid? You don't see the English Premier League or the NFL conducting auctions outside their countries," he said.

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BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had earlier stated that KKR was asked to release Mustafizur "due to the recent developments" and the franchise was permitted to replace him. Mustafizur had been bought by KKR for Rs 9.20 crore at the IPL auction in December 2025.