Big blow for KKR ahead of IPL 2026; Mustafizur Rahman to miss first eight days of upcoming season

KKR bought the Bangladeshi pacer for a whopping 9.20 Cr.

Mustafizur Rahman was the only Bangladeshi player to have interested IPL teams at the mini auction on December 17. Rahman, who has previously been part of multiple teams, did not feature in the 2025 year cycle. However, he was a part of the Chennai Super Kings in 2024.

Upon the arrival of his name in the mini auction for IPL 2026, Mustafizur Rahman stirred a bidding war, as Delhi Capitals and CSK began bidding aggressively.

At 5.4 Cr, CSK felt they would acquire the Bangladeshi again, but in came Kolkata Knight Riders, who had a far bigger purse than the men in yellow, and went on to outbid the five-time champions. KKR secured Mustafizur Rahman for a massive 9.2 Cr, becoming Rahman’s highest-ever payday earned at any IPL auction so far.

Mustafizur Rahman to miss the first eight days

Bangladesh and New Zealand are scheduled to play an ODI series in April, and Mustafizur Rahman is expected to be included in the ODI squad.

As a result, Fizz is unlikely to be granted permission to compete in the Indian Premier League until the completion of the ODI series.

As a result, he would be ruled out of the first eight days of the premier event. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) operations head, Nazmul Abedin, has confirmed this.

The New Zealand vs Bangladesh ODI series holds particular importance for Bangladesh, who are currently placed 10th in the ICC ODI rankings. With only the top eight teams guaranteed direct qualification for the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup, every match carries added significance.

Notably, Bangladesh managed to win just three of their nine ODI matches in 2025, underlining the urgency of improving their results.

This will be a major blow for KKR, who have spent a huge amount to secure Rahman’s services. However, they will still hope to have a fit and ready Matheesha Pathirana, alongside Indian quicks in the form of Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora.

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