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Mustafizur Rahman removed from IPL: 3 Indian bowlers KKR can target to replace him

Anurag Dasgupta

Mustafizur Rahman replacements in KKR [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.COM] Mustafizur Rahman replacements in KKR [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.COM]

A final decision has been made, Mustafizur Rahman, who was a part of the KKR squad for the upcoming IPL season, has been released by the franchise months before the 2026 season. The decision comes after the franchise faced an intense backlash from the fans due to the recent developments, where several Hindus have reportedly been killed in Bangladesh.

On Saturday, the BCCI Secretary, Devajit Saikia, revealed that the board has asked KKR to remove Mustafizur from their team; however, the franchise can replace him with any other player. The former IPL winners have the option to choose from the overseas players pool, and also the Indian bowling core. 

With Mustafizur released, here are 3 Indian bowlers who can replace the Bangladesh star in the KKR team.

1) Akash Madhwal

  • For some reason, Akash Madhwal, the wily customer with the ball, went unsold in the IPL 2026 mini auction. He was the Mumbai Indians’ best bowler during their 2023 playoff run, but was unfortunately released by the franchise. He was a part of the Rajasthan Royals setup last year, but the pacer was underutilised.
  • If there is one franchise that can revive his career, it's the KKR side. With Matheesha Pathirana already in their ranks, the team might not go for an overseas pacer, rather, they could look for an Indian option and Madhwal fits the bill.
  • He is deceptive as a right-arm quick, and can complement Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora as the team can build a strong Indian bowling core, rather than going for an overseas pacer.
  • The pacer also has a brilliant cutter, and on sluggish Eden Gardens wicket, that variation might come into play.

2) Chetan Sakariya

For KKR, it would be a difficult task to find a replacement who boasts the same quality as Mustafizur, but in Chetan Sakariya, the team will get a like-for-like left-arm replacement.

He has a similar skillset to Mustafizur, as the Indian pacer believes in using the cutters and doing variations to fox the batters, a trait that made the Bangladesh pacer famous. Also, he boasts decent IPL record and has a good economy rate.

Criterion
Data
Matches20
Dismissals20
Economy8.62

(Chetan Sakariya IPL numbers)

  • He has 20 wickets to his name in the IPL, and the economy is also manageable (8.62), and he could be a solid Indian replacement for the Bangladesh bowler.

3) Simarjeet Singh

The ex-CSK and SRH star went unsold in the IPL despite bowling in tricky powerplay situations in the last couple of seasons. He is a quality new-ball bowler and can be utilised in both powerplay and in the middle-overs.

With Pathirana bowling in the death overs, Simarjeet Singh, alongside Harshit Rana can be utilised in the first 16 overs. He can swing the ball both ways and has the experience of playing at the highest level, and could be a shrewd buy for the Kolkata-based franchise.

Final verdict

There are three strong Indian candidates to replace Mustafizur in the KKR setup, but the best one seems to be Chetan Sakariya. He could be a like-for-like replacement in terms of the left-arm angle and the pacer has similar skillsets to Fizz, a trait that KKR might want to use in the upcoming season.