Mustafizur Rahman has entered the IPL 2027 mini-auction, opening the door to a possible return to the league
Shahriar Nafees confirmed that the Bangladesh Cricket Board has forwarded the names of interested players to the BCCI
Nahid Rana, Rishad Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Towhid Hridoy, Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam have also registered
Mustafizur Rahman has registered for the IPL 2027 mini-auction, a step that could reopen franchise opportunities for Bangladesh's left-arm fast bowler after his contentious exit from Kolkata Knight Riders. Shahriar Nafees, Bangladesh Cricket Board cricket operations chairman, confirmed the move.
The registration matters beyond one player. Mustafizur was released by KKR ahead of the previous season in a move that later fed into a wider dispute between the BCB and the BCCI.
Several other Bangladesh cricketers have entered the auction pool.
Bangladesh cricket continues to deal with the fallout from that episode, the 2026 T20 World Cup standoff and uncertainty over India's postponed tour of Bangladesh.
Auction Registrations Confirmed
Nafees confirmed the registrations in detail.
“It is a regular procedure for the IPL mini-auction. The BCCI has reached out to every cricket board and asked them to register the names of players who are interested in participating. Mustafizur has registered for their mini-auction,” Nafees told IndiaToday.
“Yes, Nahid Rana, Rishad Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Towhid Hridoy, Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam have also registered,” Nafees told.
KKR Release Fallout
The KKR release had wider consequences.
KKR paid Rs 9.20 crore for Mustafizur at the IPL 2026 auction. That fee made him the costliest Bangladeshi player in the tournament's history.
The BCCI then told KKR to let him go, pointing to “recent developments”. KKR later said it had followed the order and could bring in a replacement.
That decision triggered a major controversy between the BCB and the BCCI. It turned a franchise call into a broader dispute between the two boards.
World Cup Standoff
The fallout soon spread to the global game.
The standoff affected Bangladesh's participation in the 2026 T20 World Cup, which was due to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The BCB refused to send its team to India, citing security concerns, and asked the ICC to move Bangladesh's matches to Sri Lanka.
Those concerns came in the wake of the developments around Mustafizur's release. The ICC rejected Bangladesh's request and informed the board that its assessment had found no credible or verifiable security threat to the team in India.
Bangladesh were later replaced by Scotland in the tournament. The dispute around one IPL release had by then grown into a major break in cricket ties.
India Tour Hopes
The BCB is still hopeful.
India's tour of Bangladesh was originally scheduled for August 2025. It was later postponed and is now expected to take place in January 2027, though the revised schedule has not yet been officially confirmed.
The proposed tour consists of three ODIs and three T20Is. “At the moment, they are still hopeful. It was rescheduled with the consent of both boards. So, as of now, that's all the information we have. Hopefully, let's see how things unfold,” Nafees added.
India last toured Bangladesh in December 2022 for three ODIs and two Tests. Bangladesh won the ODIs 2-1 and India swept the Tests 2-0. If the 2027 plan goes ahead, it will mark India's first bilateral visit to Bangladesh in more than four years.
