New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS) Masood Uz Zafar Amini, the coach of India batter Rinku Singh, said the decision taken by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is something that everyone has to abide by it.

This comes after Kolkata Knight Riders released Rahman from their squad for the 2026 IPL following instructions from the BCCI due to recent developments. In recent days, many spiritual and political figures criticised KKR and team owner Shah Rukh Khan for roping in Rahman at the auction in Abu Dhabi, amid reports of attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.

"If the BCCI has given permission to change the player, then it can be done. But Mustafizur Rahman is a cricketer first; Hindu or Muslim comes later. Other teams in the IPL had also bid for Mustafizur, so as KKR and they eventually took him in. I would like to say that he is a player first and any religion is later. So whatever is the decision of the BCCI, it has to be accepted.

“There should be no politics with players. Playing and politics are different things. People of every religion live and such incidents keep happening. But this should not be associated with the game. However, it's a decision of the nation and since the BCCI has taken a decision, we have to abide by it,” Amini told IANS on Saturday.

Rahman was acquired by KKR in the IPL auction in December 2025 for Rs 9.2 crore. He previously played for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Mumbai Indians (MI), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Delhi Capitals (DC) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and so far, he has picked up 65 wickets in 60 matches since the 2016 edition of the competition.

--IANS

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