Kolkata Knight Riders have released Mustafizur Rahman following BCCI directive
Shiv Sena (UBT) praises move, claims to have got death threats in response
Non-cognizable offence filed on his complaint
Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey said on Sunday (January 4, 2026) that he had received death threats for praising the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)'s decision instructing Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh seamer Mustafizur Rahman from their 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) squad.
Dubey received threatening messages on his WhatsApp number and phone calls from unidentified persons on Saturday, PTI quoted a Samta Nagar police station official as saying. A non-cognizable offence has been filed on his complaint under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 351(4) (criminal intimidation), and efforts are on to trace and apprehend the culprit/s, the official added.
Sharing a detailed post on social media, Dubey claimed he was abused and threatened for terming the BCCI's move as "good decision". "The issue (threats and abuse) is serious and must be looked into by the police, state government," the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader added.
KKR have released Rahman, whose services they had acquired for INR 9.2 crore in the IPL auction, after being instructed to do so by the BCCI amid rising diplomatic tensions between the two neighbouring countries. The BCCI said KKR will be allowed to name a replacement player if needed for the league, scheduled to start on March 26.
Bangladesh Not To Visit India For T20 World Cup 2026: Report
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has reportedly retaliated to Rahman’s abrupt release, approaching the International Cricket Council (ICC) to request a change of venue for their group-stage T20 World Cup 2026 matches currently scheduled in India. According to Bangladeshi newspaper Prothom Alo, the decision was taken during a BCB board meeting on Sunday, attended by 17 directors.
BCB’s head of cricket operations, Nazmul Abedeen, confirmed the development in the report. “We will clarify our position formally through an official press release shortly,” he said.
India and Sri Lanka are joint hosts of the upcoming T20 World Cup. As per current schedule, Bangladesh are to begin their campaign against the West Indies on February 7 in Kolkata, with their remaining three group matches also spread across Kolkata and Mumbai.
Any relocation of Bangladesh’s matches to Sri Lanka would need formal ICC approval, along with a significant reshuffling for broadcasters, host associations, and logistics. Just hours earlier, the BCB had announced their 15-member World Cup squad, naming Liton Das as captain, with Rahman also included in the squad.
Moreover, Cricbuzz reported that the BCB has withdrawn the No Objection Certificate (NOC) granted to Rahman to play in the IPL with immediate effect. This effectively shuts the door on his IPL 2026 participation, even if KKR reverse their decision.
(With PTI inputs)
