Shashi Tharoor: Shashi Tharoor, the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, has reacted to the controversy over Mustafizur Rahman, a Bangladeshi cricketer, who has now been sidelined from IPL 2026.
What did Shashi Tharoor Said?
Tharoor deplored the decision of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to ask KKR to release the Bangladeshi player from its squad. The IPL’s governing body has offered a replacement player for the franchise if they request.
Tharoor asked what if KKR or IPL 2026 had Litton Das or Soumya Sarkar, two Hindus in Bangladesh team, and not a Muslim like Mustafizur. Tharoor went on to remark that cricket like any other sport should not be allowed to bear the heavy burden for minority attacks in any country like Bangladesh.
Tharoor added the Indian government has been reaching out endlessly to the Bangladesh authorities to do the right thing by protecting and looking after their minorities, and the same messaging should have been continued. The Congress MP said Mustafizur has not been accused of defending or condoning any attack or any hate speech and therefore it is not right to attack him as a player.
Who Bought Mustafizur Rahman in IPL 2026?
Mustafizur was bought by Shahrukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction for Rs 9.20 crore.
