NEW DELHI: Bangladesh is a pacesetter Mustafizur Rahman has responded to his release from the Indian Premier League (IPL) from IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).His reaction came before the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) decided on Sunday that the national team will not travel to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The decision was made at a meeting on Sunday afternoon.The matter was discussed in the backdrop of Mustafizur Rahman’s exclusion from the IPL. BCB directors had already met online on Saturday evening to discuss the issue.At this point, most directors were not in favor of taking strict measures. However, following intervention by the government of Bangladesh, the board reviewed its position and changed its decision.What BCB said“The board has reviewed the situation in detail, taking into account the developments of the last 24 hours and expressed its deep concern over the overall circumstances surrounding the participation of the Bangladesh national team in matches scheduled to be played in India,” the BCB said in an official press release.“After a thorough assessment of the prevailing situation and the growing concerns regarding the safety of the Bangladesh contingent in India and taking into account the advice of the Government of Bangladesh, the Board has decided that the Bangladesh national team will not travel to India for the tournament under the current conditions,” the statement added.The BCB has also requested to move the T20 World Cup matches in Bangladesh from India. “In view of this decision, the BCB has formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC), as the event authority, to consider relocating all Bangladesh matches to a venue outside India,” the board said.The decision followed the release of Mustafizur Rahman by IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) following instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), amid rising diplomatic tensions between India and Bangladesh.Reacting to the development, Mustafizur while speaking to BDCrictime said, “If they release me, there is not much I can do.”KKR had signed the 30-year-old left-arm pacer for Rs 9.20 crore in the player auction last month. Its base price was Rs 2 crore, with Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals also participating in the bidding.The BCCI said KKR may name a replacement player if necessary for the tournament, which is scheduled to begin on March 26.India and Sri Lanka are the joint hosts of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. As per the schedule released so far, Bangladesh will play the West Indies in Kolkata on February 7, the opening day of the tournament.Bangladesh’s remaining three group stage matches are also scheduled to be played in Kolkata and Mumbai.Earlier on Sunday, the BCB announced a 15-member squad for the World Cup and named Liton Das as captain.
