Mustafizur Rahman to enter IPL 2027 mini-auction, BCB confirms

Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman will register for the IPL 2027 mini-auction, the Bangladesh Cricket Board told India Today on November 11. The BCB said it has started the registration process after Mustafizur expressed a desire to enter the auction.

The BCB source said the move follows a routine request from the BCCI for interested players to be registered for the mini-auction and that several other Bangladesh cricketers are also set to register. The board confirmed that players beyond Mustafizur have shown interest in the auction and that the registration is being handled through official channels.

“It is a regular procedure for the IPL mini-auction. The BCCI has reached out to every cricket board and asked them to register the names of players who are interested in participating. Mustafizur is registering for the mini-auction,” Nafees told India Today. “Yes, Nahid Rana, Rishad Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Towhid Hridoy, Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam have also registered.”

Mustafizur had been released by Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the previous season amid controversy, after being bought for Rs 9.20 crore at the IPL 2026 auction and becoming the most expensive Bangladeshi player in the tournament’s history. The BCCI instructed KKR to release him, citing "recent developments," and the franchise confirmed it complied and would be allowed to sign a replacement.

KKR’s decision and the subsequent directive from the BCCI triggered a wider dispute between the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the BCCI that extended beyond the IPL. The episode contributed to a standoff over Bangladesh’s participation in the 2026 T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, and led to broader discussions between the boards.

The BCB refused to send its team to India for the 2026 T20 World Cup, citing security concerns and requesting the International Cricket Council to move Bangladesh’s matches to Sri Lanka; the ICC rejected that request, saying its assessment had found no "credible or verifiable security threat" to the team in India, and Bangladesh were subsequently replaced by Scotland in the tournament.

The BCB said it remains hopeful that India’s postponed tour of Bangladesh will proceed despite uncertainty in bilateral ties. The series, originally scheduled for August 2025 and now expected to take place in January 2027, has not been officially confirmed and is proposed to consist of three ODIs and three T20Is. “At the moment, they are still hopeful. It was rescheduled with the consent of both boards. So, as of now, that's all the information we have. Hopefully, let's see how things unfold,” Nafees added.

India last toured Bangladesh in December 2022 for a three-match ODI series and a two-Test series, with Bangladesh winning the ODIs 2-1 and India winning the Tests 2-0; if it goes ahead, the proposed 2027 tour would be India’s first bilateral visit to Bangladesh in more than four years.