Indian Congress leader and Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor has criticized the decision to exclude Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League (IPL), calling it disrespectful and politically motivated. He said India bears partial responsibility for the ongoing unrest surrounding the T20 World Cup and warned against mixing politics with sports.

Tharoor described the exclusion as unfortunate and said its impact is being felt across world cricket. Mustafizur had been bought at a high price by Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) later removed him, triggering the crisis. In response, Bangladesh refused to travel to India for the World Cup citing security concerns and demanded a venue change. The International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected the request, replacing Bangladesh with Scotland, prompting Pakistan to boycott its match against India in solidarity with Bangladesh.

Tharoor urged the ICC to treat the situation as a warning and create a platform for urgent dialogue, emphasizing that cricket should unite people rather than divide them.