Mumbai (Maharshtra) [India], January 2 : Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam has requested Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) owner Shah Rukh Khan to remove Bangladesh cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from his team.

During the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, the Kolkata-based franchise picked up Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur for a staggering amount of Rs 9.20 crore for the 2026 edition.

Recently, there have been repeated violent incidents occured against religious minorities in Bangladesh. Since then, several people have argued that Kolkata's new pick, Mustafizur, should not be included in the IPL.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay has urged KKR owner Shah Rukh Khan to remove the Bangladeshi player from his team before the Bollywood icon becomes a major target. He added that it will also protect India's interests after the Bangladesh cricketer is removed.

"When the entire country is enraged and angry at Bangladesh, anyone in India who has even the slightest connection to Bangladeshis could become a target of that anger. If there is a Bangladeshi in Shah Rukh Khan's team, before he becomes a major target, we request that Shah Rukh Khan remove the Bangladeshi from his team. This will be for his own good and will also protect India's interests," Sanjay Nirupam told ANI.

Recently, speaking to ANI, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey said that Bangladeshi players shouldn't be allowed to play on Indian soil in the IPL. He added that if KKR owner Shah Rukh Khan didn't remove Bangladesh player (Mustafizur), then he doesn't understand this nation's sentiments.

"Bangladeshi players shouldn't be allowed to play on Indian soil in the IPL... Pakistani and Bangladeshi players should be prohibited. They harbour hatred towards us for the murder of our Hindu brothers and sisters... Shah Rukh Khan should immediately remove that Bangladeshi cricketer from his team... If he doesn't do this even after all this uproar, it will prove that, while he lives in this country and earns money here, he doesn't understand this nation's sentiments," he said.

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