Pakistan Super League has signed Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman after the two countries’ T20 clash with India.
Published on February 5, 2026
A Pakistani cricket club has signed the Bangladesh fast bowler, whose exclusion from the Indian Premier League (IPL) has sparked a crisis over the Twenty20 (T20) World Cup.
Lahore Qalandars signed Mustafizur Rahman for $230,000 in a draft that allows Pakistan Super League franchises to pick one player ahead of the February 11 auction.
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Mustafizur was bought by IPL’s Kolkata Knight Riders for $1 million, but on 3 January, the Board of Control for Cricket in India ordered Kolkata to release Mustafizur without public explanation but amid regional tensions.
This angered Bangladesh and its cricket board asked to move the T20 World Cup from India to co-hosts Sri Lanka for “security reasons”. The International Cricket Council (ICC) refused, because refused and Cut off Bangladesh from the competition.
The Pakistan Cricket Board, which supports Bangladesh, accused the ICC of duplicity and its government ordered Pakistan Not for playing India in T20 World Cup starting from Saturday. India-Pakistan matches are huge money spinners for the ICC.
Mustafizur was drafted by Lahore for the third time since the inception of the PSL in 2016.
“Once a Qalandar, always a Qalandar,” Lahore owner Sameen Rana said in a statement. “Mustafizur is not just a player; he is a brother, an important part of our family who has never left us … his talent, experience and dedication will be invaluable as we defend our title.”