Mustafizur Rahman will miss around eight IPL days due to Bangladesh’s ODI series against New Zealand
The Bangladesh Cricket Board prioritised national duty, citing World Cup qualification importance
KKR will manage a brief absence before he rejoins the tournament
Bangladesh’s left-arm pace ace Mustafizur Rahman is set to sit out a short stretch of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 as he returns home to represent his country in the ODI series against New Zealand. The news was confirmed this week by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), with chairman of Cricket Operations Nazmul Abedeen Fahim stating that Mustafizur will be unavailable for roughly eight to ten days in the middle of the IPL season due to international duty.
Mustafizur, who was snapped up by Kolkata Knight Riders for a hefty INR 9.20 crore at the IPL auction, is expected to play the entire IPL campaign except for this brief hiatus. “He will get the opportunity to play almost the entire IPL,” Fahim said as reported by Cricbuzz.
However, he added that Bangladesh’s push for direct qualification to the 2027 ODI World Cup means the left-arm quick’s presence in the New Zealand series is a priority. Fans and analysts have reacted with mixed feelings, while many appreciate his commitment to national duty, others worry about the impact on team balance during his brief absence.
BCB Official Statement on Mustafizur’s Availability
The Bangladesh Cricket Board issued an official clarification on Mustafizur’s schedule, stressing that his return for the ODI series is a strategic move for Bangladesh cricket. Nazmul Abedeen Fahim emphasized that the board had granted Mustafizur a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the IPL but insisted that national commitments take precedence when crucial fixtures, like the New Zealand ODIs, are on the calendar.
“There is an important series for us in between, during which we may not release him for eight to ten days,” Fahim explained, reaffirming the team’s focus on World Cup qualification.
Impact on KKR IPL 2026 Campaign
Despite missing this short window, Mustafizur’s overall participation in the IPL remains intact, and his absence is expected to be manageable for KKR given their squad depth. While the team will miss his deceptive cutters and experience in the middle overs, KKR’s deeper roster offers some cushion, with back-up pacers ready to step in temporarily.
Apart from Mustafizur, KKR also signed Sri Lanka star pacer Matheesha Pathirana for INR 18 crore who has done wonders for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the past seasons. KKR other pace bowling options are Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Akash Deep, Kartik Tyagi. So the options are lot for KKR but it would be interesting to see if these bowlers would be able to produce the same impact as Mustafizur does.
