Lahore Qalandars sign Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman for over Rs64m

Lahore Qalandars confirmed on Thursday that they have brought Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman back to the franchise through a direct signing for the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League, paying more than Rs64 million for the deal.

Sharing the news on social media platform X, the franchise welcomed the left-arm pacer in an emotional message. “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 post read, adding that the amount spent on the direct signing was PKR 6.44 crore.

Tweet by Lahore Qalandars

Mustafizur had entered the PSL player registration process earlier this month after being dropped by Indian Premier League side Kolkata Knight Riders. The development followed his unexpected exit from the KKR squad despite being picked at the IPL mini-auction in December for INR 9.20 crore.

At 30, Mustafizur remains one of Bangladesh’s most experienced limited-overs bowlers, known for his cutters and effectiveness in the death overs. He was also the only Bangladeshi cricketer to secure an IPL contract for the upcoming season.

KKR later confirmed his release, saying the decision was taken after receiving directions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The move came against the backdrop of tense relations between India and Bangladesh, reportedly triggered by incidents involving minority communities in Bangladesh.

Following these developments, Bangladesh stopped the broadcast of IPL matches in the country, while the Bangladesh Cricket Board formally asked the International Cricket Council to move its T20 World Cup fixtures from India to Sri Lanka.

The ICC, however, turned down the request and instead removed Bangladesh from the 20-team tournament, replacing them with Scotland.