Controversies aren't new for Shah Rukh Khan but the latest one is a series of events that wasn't entirely unexpected. Ever since Kolkata Knight Riders acquired Mustafizur Rahman at the IPL 2026 Auctions in Abu Dhabi on December 16, criticism and outrage from the public was inevitable. Rahman is the only Bangladesh player to have an IPL contract at present.
December has seen multiple incidents of Hindus being lynched to death in Bangladesh and with the increasing violence against Hindus in the country, India's political stance against their neighbour is also currently in a dodgy situation. That one of those major lynching incidents happened just two days before the IPL 2026 Auctions is what puts Rahman's signing in poor light for KKR.
Days after religious leaders from Ujjain threatened to invade KKR's matches if Rahman played in IPL 2026, more politicians have gotten involved into this controversy and are taking potshots at Shah Rukh, whom they have termed as a 'traitor' for signing Rahman into the Kolkata franchise. For those unaware, KKR bought Rahman for an lucrative price of Rs 9.20 crore at the IPL auctions.
"How can that Rahman (Mustafizur) come here?," said Sardhana MLA Sangeet Som in a statement.
A traitor like Shah Rukh Khan buying him from the country and paying him nine and a half crore rupees is simply unacceptable. The people of India will not tolerate this at all."
#WATCH | Haridwar, Uttarakhand: On Spiritual leader Devkinandan Thakur's statement, BJP leader Sangeet Singh Som says, "The way Hindus are being persecuted in Bangladesh, women and girls are being raped, their homes are being burned, and anti-India slogans are being chanted… pic.twitter.com/TNKK6Y8H1Z
— ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2026
Arguably the richest actor in the world, Shah Rukh has recently been in the news for reportedly setting his sights on expanding KKR ownership by buying shares from the Mehta Group. While his control over the franchise is set to increase, this ongoing controversy has come as a big dent. Leaders feel that Shah Rukh and KKR should have stayed away from buying a Bangladesh player.
"The country that made you (SRK) a hero, a superstar, gave you the power to buy a cricket team," said a religious leader Devkinandan Thakur.
"The country gave you so much love, and the Hindu community also gave you a lot of love. So will you repay that debt by bringing a Bangladeshi cricketer and feeding him on our chests?"
Neither KKR nor Shah Rukh are yet to react to this outrage from politicians in India. Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have also gone for the defensive approach by not taking a stand just yet. According to reports, the BCCI will be seeking the Central Government's opinion on this sensitive matter before taking any official decision.
As things stand, there is a big suspense of Rahman's participation in IPL 2026 but given the sum that KKR have dished out for the left-arm fast bowler, there could be complications if they decide to exclude the Bangladesh veteran.
