Mustafizur registers for IPL auction: Can he find a team despite everything?

There was a major controversy over Mustafizur Rahman's participation in the IPL last year. Kolkata Knight Riders had signed the Bangladesh pacer at the auction but were eventually forced to release him following a directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The fallout from the incident extended much further. Citing security concerns, Bangladesh demanded that the T20 World Cup be moved out of India and ultimately decided not to participate in the tournament.

The incident raised questions about whether Mustafizur would ever play in the IPL again. Now, there is a possibility of finding an answer. The Bangladesh pacer has registered for the mini-auction ahead of the next IPL season, a source familiar with the matter told Prothom Alo.

Mustafizur is the most recognisable Bangladesh cricketer in the IPL after Shakib Al Hasan. He has played nine seasons for five different franchises. He won the Emerging Player of the Tournament award in his IPL debut in 2016, becoming the only overseas cricketer to have received the honour in the tournament's history.

Mustafizur has played 60 IPL matches so far, taking 60 wickets at an economy rate of 8.13 runs per over.

Besides Mustafizur, several other Bangladesh cricketers are also preparing to register for the auction ahead of the next season. According to reports, a total of six to seven Bangladeshi cricketers have registered. They include fast bowler Nahid Rana, leg-spinner Rishad Hossain and batter Towhid Hridoy. Players can register for the auction until 17 November.

The IPL mini-auction will take place in Goa, India, on 16 December. Franchises will build their squads by adding new players to those they retain.

However, unlike a mega-auction, teams will not have the opportunity to rebuild their entire squads. Instead, they will enter the auction after releasing or retaining players according to their respective requirements.

Under the rules, each team can have a maximum of 25 players and a minimum of 18. The number of overseas players is capped at eight. The total salary cap for each team for the 2027 season is INR 1.57 billion.

However, the amount available to each franchise for the auction has not yet been finalised. The remaining purse will be determined once the player retention and release process is completed.