Devkinandan Thakur, a spiritual leader and ‘Kathavachak’, expressed gratitude towards the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) for instructing Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to exclude Bangladeshi player Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL squad. Thakur appreciated the BCCI for considering his appeal regarding Bangladeshi cricketers’ participation in the IPL.
Thakur criticized KKR and actor Shah Rukh Khan’s franchise for not acknowledging the sentiments of the Hindu community by retaining a Bangladeshi cricketer amidst the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh. He emphasized feeling let down by their silence during times of distress.
Following BCCI’s directive, KKR removed Mustafizur Rahman from their squad for the upcoming IPL season. In contrast, coach Masood Uz Zafar Amini highlighted the importance of separating sports from politics, emphasizing that players’ religious backgrounds should not influence their participation in the game.
