IPL Row Over Bangladeshi Player: ‘Let’s Not Mix Politics With Sport,’ Says Shashi Tharoor
Congress MP says cricket should remain insulated from political tensions, urges not to burden sport with Bangladesh minority issues
Bangladesh, Dec 03 : Amid the controversy surrounding Shah Rukh Khan-owned Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) decision to include Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman in their squad for the IPL 2026 season, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has come out in defence of the franchise, calling the move a purely sporting decision.
Urging critics not to politicise the issue, Tharoor said cricket should not be made to shoulder the burden of concerns related to attacks on minorities, including Hindus, in Bangladesh.
“Cricket should not be made to bear the burden for attacks on minorities in Bangladesh. We should try to insulate some areas from others. India is reaching out to Bangladesh and urging them to do the right thing to protect and look after their minorities, and this messaging must continue,” Tharoor said.
The Congress leader stressed that Mustafizur Rahman, as a sportsperson, has no connection to the alleged attacks. “He is a cricketer and has nothing to do with these incidents. He has not been personally accused of hate speech or of condoning or defending any attacks. Mixing the two is simply not fair,” he added.
Tharoor further argued that isolating neighbouring countries over sporting decisions would be counterproductive. “We should not let politics come into this. If we become a country that isolates all our neighbours and says nobody will play with them, how does that help? We surround Bangladesh on three sides. We cannot isolate them. We have to play with them,” he said.
The controversy erupted after spiritual leader Devkinandan Thakur criticised Shah Rukh Khan for KKR’s decision, claiming that the inclusion of a Bangladeshi player in the IPL had hurt Hindu sentiments.
Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has distanced itself from the row, stating that it has received no directive from the Government of India to bar Bangladeshi players from participating in the IPL.
“Let’s not get into this. It is not in our hands. We have not received any communication from the government directing us to prevent Bangladeshi players from participating in the IPL,” a BCCI source told news agency IANS.
