The Kolkata Knight Riders picked Mustafizur Rahman for a whopping price of INR 9.20 crore in the latest IPL mini-auction; however, the Bangladesh Cricket Board official suggested that the pacer would return to the country for the series against New Zealand, and hence, he won’t be available for the entire stretch of the season.
The PSL and the IPL windows will clash for another season, and hence, some changes need to be made to Bangladesh’s international calendar as well, as they have a series to be played ahead of the start of the franchise tournament.
Moreover, other international commitments like the ODI series against New Zealand mark a crucial affair for the Bangladesh team, which they wish to secure before the 2027 ICC World Cup, and they would need their best players on the field.
BCB official confirms Pakistan series amid PSL clash
Bangladesh Cricket Board’s official has confirmed that the upcoming series against Pakistan, which comprises two Tests and three ODIs, will be rescheduled and played on either side of the PSL, since the PSL window has clashed with the league.
As per Cricbuzz reports, Bangladesh proposed Pakistan play the three ODIs before the start of the PSL as well as the IPL, while the Test segment will be played in May after the leagues are over.
“It (remaining part of the Pakistan series) has to be in two parts (before and after PSL),” BCB cricket operation chairman Nazmul Abedin told reporters on Wednesday, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
Mustafizur Rahman will not be part of the entire season of the IPL
Mustafizur Rahman was picked for the IPL 2026 by the Kolkata Knight Riders for a whopping price of INR 9.20 crore. He might be cited as a backup option for the Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana.
Nazmul Abedin, the BCB operations chairman, confirmed that Mustafizur Rahman is unavailable for part of the IPL season. Nazmul confirmed that he will return for the eight days of the ODI series against New Zealand.
Bangladesh are currently placed 10th in the ICC ODI rankings and have managed to win just 3 of their 9 games in 2025 ODIs. For direct qualification in the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup, Bangladesh must climb back to the top eight of the rankings, and hence, they are desperate to win the New Zealand series.
“We have given Mustafizur an NOC for the entire IPL. He will only return to play for the national team during the New Zealand ODI series, which consists of three matches,” said Nazmul.
“He will return for eight days to play the ODI series,” he said, adding that the competitive environment in IPL will help him perform well against New Zealand.
Bangladesh not ready to repeat the mistake of releasing Mustafizur Rahman
As they recall, Bangladesh had made a huge blunder by releasing Mustafizur Rahman for the IPL when they toured the UAE the last time. They considered that the main reason behind the losses was Mustafizur Rahman’s absence from the Bangladesh squad.
They also considered Mustafizur Rahman’s evolution following his stunning performance in the IPL, as they reaped the advantage of the world’s finest T20 league. They do not want to risk it any further on this occasion against New Zealand.
“So we considered all the pros and cons and felt that his presence is important for us. With our existing strength, having him makes the team stronger, and that is the consideration behind this decision,” he said.
