Shashi Tharoor calls Mustafizur’s KKR exit ‘unfortunate and unwise’ amid India-Bangladesh strain

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday criticised the BCCI-backed decision that led to Kolkata Knight Riders releasing Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL, calling it an “extremely unfortunate and unwise decision” amid rising tensions between India and Bangladesh over violence against Hindus in the neighbouring country.

Rahman’s inclusion in the KKR squad had triggered backlash from sections of social media, eventually resulting in his exit from the franchise as bilateral relations between New Delhi and Dhaka remain strained. Soon after, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced that it would not send its national team to India for the T20 World Cup scheduled next month, citing security concerns and government directives.

Tharoor: Keep sports separate from politics

Speaking to news agency ANI, Tharoor stressed that sport should not be made to “bear the burden” of political and diplomatic tensions.

“There are many other ways in which we are dealing with Bangladesh, as we have to,” he said, pointing out that India continues to engage diplomatically with Dhaka. He noted that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had recently visited Bangladesh and held meetings with leaders expected to play key roles after the next election.

On reports of attacks against minorities in Bangladesh, Tharoor said India was already urging the interim government there to restore law and order and take action against unlawful groups.

“At such a delicate moment, this seems to me to have been an extremely unfortunate and unwise decision, because it implies that we are politicising even something as simple as a private cricket game,” he said.

Tharoor also expressed concern over what he described as social media outrage influencing policy decisions. “Some things, I think, should be beyond this kind of pressure,” he said.

Arguing that sport can help ease diplomatic strains, Tharoor added, “When you have tensions with countries, sport becomes a good way of diffusing those tensions. What has been done has only exacerbated them.”

KKR releases Mustafizur Rahman

Kolkata Knight Riders, co-owned by Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla, released the left-arm pacer after picking him up for ₹9.20 crore at the IPL auction held in Abu Dhabi last month.

Rahman’s removal prompted the Bangladesh Cricket Board to convene an emergency meeting on Saturday night. The following day, the board decided that the Bangladesh national team would not tour India for the T20 World Cup, which begins on February 7.

The developments have added to concerns over the spillover of political tensions into sporting ties between the two countries.