Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman, who was removed from the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) early last month following a directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has signed a deal with Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Lahore Qalandars.
The PSL franchise announced the direct signing on Thursday. “Our Bangladeshi brother Mustafizur, picked in 2016 and 2018, is now our direct signing and finally back with the family. Once a Qalandar, always a Qalandar,” the announcement on Lahore Qalandars’ X account said.
However, Mustafizur will be pocketing nearly 77 per cent less than his IPL contract. The pacer, known for his variations and death-overs bowling, was roped in by the Kolkata Knight Riders at the IPL mini-auction held in December for INR 9.2 crore, and was the only Bangladesh player to land an IPL contract for the 2026 season. At Lahore Qalandars, he will earn PKR 6.44 crore, which translates to approximately INR 2.08 crore, a pay cut of around 77.4 per cent.
Amid strained relations between India and Bangladesh, the BCCI ordered KKR to release Mustafizur from the squad on January 3, without offering any explanation.
In response, Bangladesh banned IPL broadcasts in the country, while the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift its T20 World Cup matches out of India, citing security concerns. The ICC repeatedly rejected the plea and even conducted an independent investigation that found no threat at the venues where Bangladesh were scheduled to play. The BCB, however, did not budge from its stance.
The ICC eventually removed Bangladesh from the World Cup, naming Scotland as its replacement.
This will be the second time Mustafizur will feature in the PSL, having previously played in the 2017–18 season, also for the Lahore-based franchise. He picked up four wickets in five matches at an economy rate of just 6.43.
