BCB holds emergency meeting after Mustafizur Rahman’s release from IPL:Will India-Bangladesh cricket ties break down just like Pakistan?

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) held an emergency meeting after Mustafizur Rahman was released by his IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) asked the franchise to leave out the Bangladeshi cricketer amid ongoing violence against Hindus in the country. Kolkata Knight Riders confirmed that the BCCI/IPL, as the regulator of the IPL, instructed the franchise to release Mustafizur Rahman from the squad ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League season,” the three-time champions said in an official statement. Mustafizur had become the most expensive Bangladeshi player in IPL history after he was signed by the franchise for a massive sum of Rs 9.2 crore at the auction on 16 December. The left-arm pacer is an IPL veteran, having played 60 matches for five teams in total, picking up 65 wickets. Also read: KKR officially release Mustafizur Rahman after BCCI’s verdict:Shah Rukh’s IPL team part ways with Bangladeshi pacer; IND-BAN series reportedly on hold Bangladesh Cricket Board holds emergency meeting The BCB called for an urgent meeting after KKR released Mustafizur Rahman from their squad upon the BCCI’s request. The meeting was to determine the course of action after Mustafizur’s IPL release. Earlier, India’s tour of Bangladesh was rescheduled for this year. “This decision has been reached following discussions between the two Boards, taking into account the international cricketing commitments and scheduling convenience of both teams,” a part of a joint statement, read. BCCI officials also had expressed unwillingness to travel to Dhaka to attend an ACC (Asian Cricket Council) meeting last year. India vs Bangladesh white-ball series tour put on hold After Mustafizur was released from the IPL following BCCI’s instruction to KKR, there seems to be uncertainty hovering over India’s tour of Bangladesh later this year, according to The Indian Express. “We didn’t travel to Bangladesh last year too, BCB had issued their international calendar, but it looks doubtful, as we need Indian government approval to play in any other country. As far as the T20I World Cup is concerned, Bangladesh will play as per the scheduled games,” the publication quoted a BCCI official. The BCB, a day ago, had announced a schedule for ODI and T20I series against India. According to the schedule, the Indian team would arrive in Bangladesh on 28 August. The three ODIs are scheduled to be played on 1, 3 and 6 September. The T20Is will follow on 9, 12 and 13 September. Bangladesh are to visit India for the T20 World Cup, with the Eden Gardens in Kolkata scheduled to host three of their four Group C matches. The tension could well spill over and impact the T20 World Cup schedule as well. Also read: Bangladesh to host India for 3 ODIs 3 T20Is:BCB announces white-ball series amid ongoing tensions over killing of Hindus Will India-Bangladesh cricketing ties break down like that with Pakistan? Now, the big question. Will India-Bangladesh cricketing ties break down completely, like what happened with Pakistan? Mustafizur’s release from the IPL upon BCCI’s intervention, after massive backlash in India over the killing of Hindus in Bangladesh, has led to an atmosphere of unrest and tension between the two nations. India’s last meeting against Bangladesh was in 2024 in a home Test series. Should India’s tour of Bangladesh be cancelled amid the ongoing tension, it surely is going to land a big blow to IND-BAN cricketing relations. In such a scenario, it would not be wrong to assume that in future, there might come a time when there would be no bilateral cricket between the two countries. Like with Pakistan, India and Bangladesh could meet each other only in multi-national tournaments.