Explained: This article explains the political background, key decisions, and possible outcomes related to Explained : Cricket Politicisation: Tharoor Critiques Sport And Politics Amid Bangladesh Violence Debate and Its Impact and why it matters right now.
India
-Gaurav Sharma
Congress
leader
Shashi
Tharoor
has
criticised
the
growing
politicisation
of
cricket
after
Bangladesh
fast
bowler
Mustafizur
Rahman
was
released
by
Kolkata
Knight
Riders
(KKR)
following
a
directive
from
the
BCCI,
a
move
that
has
sparked
a
fierce
political
debate
linking
sport
to
recent
violence
against
Hindus
in
Bangladesh.
Rahman
had
been
picked
up
by
KKR
for
₹9.20
crore
during
the
IPL
2026
mini-auction
held
in
December
2025.
While
the
signing
initially
drew
little
controversy,
the
mood
shifted
sharply
as
reports
emerged
of
attacks
on
Hindu
minorities
in
Bangladesh.
Several
BJP
leaders
subsequently
urged
the
Shah
Rukh
Khan–owned
franchise
to
drop
the
left-arm
pacer,
arguing
that
sporting
engagement
should
not
continue
amid
such
violence.
Congress
leader
Shashi
Tharoor
criticized
the
politicization
of
cricket
after
Kolkata
Knight
Riders
released
Mustafizur
Rahman
following
BCCI
directives
amidst
a
debate
linking
the
decision
to
violence
against
Hindus
in
Bangladesh;
Tharoor
argued
against
targeting
individual
cricketers
for
events
beyond
their
control,
advocating
for
diplomatic
solutions
instead
of
sporting
boycotts.
Tharoor
Responding
to
the
backlash,
Tharoor
questioned
the
logic
of
targeting
an
individual
cricketer
for
events
beyond
his
control.
In
a
post
on
X,
he
asked
whether
the
outrage
was
directed
at
a
country,
a
religion,
or
a
single
athlete,
and
warned
that
dragging
politics
into
sport
without
reflection
could
have
damaging
consequences.
He
also
raised
the
point
that
the
reaction
may
have
been
different
had
the
player
involved
been
Bangladeshi
Hindu
cricketers
like
Litton
Das
or
Soumya
Sarkar.
Speaking
later
to
the
media,
the
former
diplomat
said
cricket
should
not
be
burdened
with
the
responsibility
of
responding
to
communal
violence.
He
stressed
that
Rahman
had
no
connection
to
the
attacks
and
argued
that
holding
him
accountable
amounted
to
unfair
collective
punishment.
According
to
Tharoor,
India
should
continue
pressing
Dhaka
through
diplomatic
channels
to
ensure
the
safety
of
minorities
rather
than
penalising
individuals
with
no
role
in
the
violence.
Tharoor
further
cautioned
against
using
sporting
boycotts
as
a
political
tool,
saying
isolating
neighbouring
countries
rarely
produces
positive
results.
He
underlined
that
sports
can
sometimes
serve
as
a
bridge
for
dialogue
during
difficult
political
periods
and
warned
that
blanket
exclusions
could
harm
long-term
regional
relationships.
His
remarks
come
amid
mounting
concern
over
a
series
of
violent
incidents
targeting
Hindus
in
Bangladesh.
The
most
recent
case
involved
businessman
Khokon
Chandra
Das,
who
died
days
after
being
attacked
with
sharp
weapons
and
set
on
fire
while
travelling
in
an
autorickshaw.
Reports
said
he
attempted
to
save
himself
by
jumping
into
a
pond
but
later
succumbed
to
severe
injuries
after
being
shifted
to
Dhaka
for
treatment.
Other
recent
incidents
include
the
fatal
shooting
of
Bajendra
Biswas,
who
was
working
as
a
security
guard
at
a
garment
factory
in
Mymensingh,
the
reported
lynching
of
Amrit
Mondal,
and
the
killing
of
factory
worker
Dipu
Chandra
Das
following
allegations
of
blasphemy.
These
incidents
have
heightened
fear
among
the
Hindu
minority
and
drawn
international
attention.
India
has
formally
conveyed
its
concerns
to
Bangladesh,
with
officials
describing
a
continuing
pattern
of
hostility
towards
minorities.
The
situation
has
also
fed
into
domestic
political
discourse,
where
some
leaders
have
called
for
tougher
measures,
including
restrictions
on
sporting
ties.
The
controversy
intensified
when
BJP
leader
Sangeet
Som
attacked
Shah
Rukh
Khan
over
KKR’s
decision
to
sign
Rahman,
branding
the
actor
a
“traitor”
and
arguing
that
Bangladeshi
players
should
not
be
allowed
in
the
IPL
while
Hindus
face
violence
across
the
border.
Similar
sentiments
were
echoed
by
other
BJP
and
Shiv
Sena
leaders.
Defending
his
stance,
Tharoor
reiterated
that
Rahman
had
neither
promoted
nor
condoned
violence
and
should
be
judged
solely
as
a
sportsperson.
He
warned
that
conflating
individual
athletes
with
geopolitical
tensions
sets
a
dangerous
precedent
and
undermines
the
spirit
of
international
sport.
As
the
debate
continues,
the
episode
has
exposed
sharp
divisions
within
India
over
how
to
respond
to
violence
against
Hindus
abroad
—
with
one
side
demanding
strict
boycotts
and
the
other
advocating
sustained
diplomacy,
restraint
and
keeping
sport
separate
from
political
retaliation.