Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are in a tough pickle. The 2-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions won’t have the services of Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman, despite acquiring him for INR 9.20 crore at the IPL 2026 auction.
Amid rising tensions between India and Bangladesh, the Indian public was outraged at Mustafizur’s participation in the cash-rich league. This has prompted the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to instruct the Bangladesh pacer’s release to KKR.
Kolkata has accepted the demand. In fact, they are already looking for a replacement. But finding another bowler of Mustafizur’s quality won’t be a piece of cake. The auction’s over. All the quality pacers have been picked up by other IPL franchises.
Mustafizur possesses the ability to bowl in every phase of the game. The left-arm pacer can clock 140 km and has the best cutter in the game. In all probability, KKR won’t get a like-for-like replacement. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have options.
5 potential Mustafizur Rahman replacements for KKR
If KKR are looking for powerplay pacers, Jason Behrendorff and Fazalhaq Farooqi are two options for them. Much like Mustafizur, they are left-arm fast bowlers. Both have experience of playing in the IPL as well. However, these two might be limited post-powerplay.
| Bowler | Type | Country | 2025 stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Behrendorff | Left-arm fast bowler | Australia | 24 wickets (average 23.04 & economy 8.46) |
| Richard Gleeson | Right-arm fast bowler | England | 39 wickets (average 21.02 & economy 8.57) |
| Riley Meredith | Right-arm fast bowler | Australia | 60 wickets (average 18.48 & economy 8.49) |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | Left-arm fast bowler | Afghanistan | 51 wickets (average 26.43 & economy 8.61) |
| Will O’Rourke | Right-arm fast bowler | New Zealand | 15 wickets (average 39.8 & economy 10.17) |
If KKR wants middle and death-over operators, Richard Gleeson and Riley Meredith are two great options. The right-arm pacers might go for runs, but are proven wicket-takers. They also have IPL experience.
However, if they are looking for a jack of all trades, Will O’Rourke might be their guy. The Kiwi quick has pace and raw potential. He did well for the Lucknow Super Giants last season. But injury concerns remain with him. O’Rourke hasn’t proven himself as a T20 bowler, and it might be a risk for KKR to put their faith in him. But, just on ability, he’s as good as they come.
KKR can also acquire one of Joshua Little, Spencer Johnson, Gerald Coetzee, Jhye Richardson, or Naveen ul Haq. All have featured in the IPL, but their performances in the last 12 months haven’t been great. Three of them have had injury issues as well.
