Will Mustafizur Rahman Get His IPL Fee After Being Released By KKR?

Hyderabad: It was smooth sailing for the Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman in the IPL 2026 mini auction held last December in Dubai, as he was acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a price of INR 9.20 Crore. However, he suffered a blow ahead of the upcoming edition as the left-arm pacer was released by the franchise on the BCCI’s directive on Saturday, January 3. The pacer was released as the pressure had been mounting on the BCCI over the participation of the Bangladesh cricketer amid the recent killing of a Hindu man in the country and India's expression of concern for the safety of minorities there.

The certain release of the player has now raised questions about whether he will get the IPL fee or will he lose an opportunity to earn a significant amount of money for playing in the IPL. There have been various claims regarding the whole issue, but there is a bright possibility that the Bangladesh pacer won’t get any money, and KKR will replace him.

Will Mustafizur get his contract money?

According to the sources, the 30-year-old won’t get any money as he was released two months prior to the start of the tournament, and KKR will opt for a replacement. Also, the call is taken on the instructions of the BCCI, which is also clearly mentioned by the franchise in the media statement they issued.

Mustafizur's condition falls under the category of "force majeure", a contractual provision which allows parties to refrain from performing their obligations in the event of an extreme circumstance that is out of the control of both the player and the franchise. Since Mustafizur withdrew from the IPL at the BCCI's request, KKR, as a party, is not obliged to fulfil the contractual commitments.

Rules for players withdrawing from IPL or being ruled out due to injury

According to the IPL rules, if a player withdraws from the tournament, he will be banned for two years from the competition and will not be given any IPL fee. For example, Harry Brook withdrew from the IPL 2025 and was banned for two seasons as a result. Also, if a player gets injured after being sold in the auction and is unable to play in any of the matches, he doesn’t get any IPL fee.

However, Mustafizur’s case falls in a different category as he was an available selection, neither withdrew from the tournament nor was injured. However, he was released by KKR on the instructions of the BCCI, and thus, the matter has become more complex.