The Bangladeshi fast bowler, Mustafizur Rahman, was shown the door from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instructed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Mustafizur from their team, leading to the franchise making this decision.
Amidst the political and diplomatic uproar over his release from the IPL, Mustafizur Rahman has created history on the field. He has become the fast bowler to achieve 400 wickets in the fewest T20 matches. This fast bowler from Bangladesh completed 400 wickets in just 315 T20 matches. In doing so, Mustafizur surpassed Pakistan's Wahab Riaz, who achieved this feat in 335 matches, thus reaching the milestone 20 matches sooner.
Rashid Khan still holds the fastest record
Additionally, Mustafizur Rahman is the second-fastest bowler to reach 400 wickets in T20 cricket. He surpassed South Africa's leg-spinner Imran Tahir, who took 320 matches to reach 400 wickets. The fastest record to reach 400 wickets in T20 cricket is still held by Afghanistan's spinner Rashid Khan, who achieved it in just 289 matches.
Mustafizur Rahman reached this milestone during the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) match against Sylhet Titans. Playing for Rangpur Riders, Mustafizur showcased brilliant bowling at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. He took 3 wickets while giving away 24 runs in 4 overs, playing a crucial role in steering his team to a 6-wicket victory. He reached the 400 wicket mark by dismissing Mehidy Hasan Miraz, followed by sending Afif Hossain Dhrubo and Khaled Ahmed to the pavilion. Now, Mustafizur holds 402 wickets in 315 T20 matches. During this time, his economy rate has been 7.43, and he has achieved the feat of taking five wickets in a match on four occasions.
In December 2025, KKR bought Mustafizur Rahman for INR 9.20 crores in the IPL mini-auction. However, following the auction, some political and religious organizations began opposing him, which gradually escalated, ultimately leading to his exclusion from the team. Responding to this, Mustafizur said, 'It was the IPL's decision and was beyond my control. I couldn't do anything about it.'
This entire controversy has now started affecting international relations. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has decided not to send their team to India for the T20 World Cup. Bangladesh's sports advisor Asif Nazrul confirmed this. BCB will soon formally write to the ICC and propose Sri Lanka as an alternative venue. Additionally, a warning was also issued that if the situation doesn't improve, there might be a consideration to ban the broadcast of IPL matches in Bangladesh.
