Bangladeshi player in IPL controversy: ‘We should not let politics come into this,’ says Shashi Tharoor
The Statesman | 3 January 2026
Amid the row over Shahrukh Khan-owned Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)’s decision to include Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman in their team for the IPL 2026, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has defended the franchise, saying that it was a purely sporting decision.
Urging not to politicise the issue, Tharoor asserted that cricket should not be made to bear the burden of attacks against 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. We are 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 further added that Rahman is a cricketer and has nothing to do with these attacks. “He has not been personally accused of any hate speech or condoning or defending any attacks. Mixing these two things is simply not fair.”
He said that India cannot isolate its neighbours over sporting decisions. “We should not let politics come into this,” Tharoor said.
“If we become a country that isolates all of our neighbours, and say nobody is playing with any of them, how does it do any good? It is purely a sporting decision…We surround Bangladesh on three sides. We cannot isolate them. We have to play with them,” Tharoor added.
The controversy erupted after a spiritual leader named Devkinandan Thakur slammed Shah Rukh Khan for his team’s decision to include Rahman, claiming that the inclusion of a Bangladeshi player in the IPL has hurt the sentiments of Hindus.
However, the BCCI has declined to comment on the issue, saying it has not received any communication from the Government of India directing it to prevent Bangladeshi players from playing 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 Bangladesh players from participating in the IPL… Can’t comment much as of now,” a BCCI source had told news agnecy IANS.