The 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) kicked off on Saturday, March 28. That same day, news spread that Zahir Uddin Swapan, the new Information and Broadcasting Minister in Bangladesh called for an end to the country’s IPL broadcast ban. The minister said sports and politics shouldn’t mix, so Bangladesh would once again allow IPL games to be shown.
But just two days later, on March 30, things changed. Suddenly, the decision to lift the ban was reversed. According to media sources, India’s JioStar, which held the rights to broadcast the IPL in Bangladesh, canceled its deal. Without that partnership, showing the tournament in Bangladesh is now pretty much impossible.
JioStar sent a letter to Bangladesh’s TSports, explaining they were terminating the agreement immediately because TSports hadn’t paid on time. Reuters quoted the letter, saying payment delays and defaults forced their hand. This rule also covers the women’s IPL, or Women’s Premier League.
It must be noted that, at the 2026 auction, Kolkata Knight Riders bought Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman for ₹9.20 crore. Meanwhile, violent protests and reports of attacks against the Hindu minority gripped Bangladesh. In India, the news sparked outrage. Many people there demanded that Bangladeshi players be barred from playing in the IPL.
In the end, the BCCI instructed KKR to release Mustafizur. Later, the Bangladesh government banned IPL broadcasts in the country. It’s a whirlwind in which politics, sports, and business all clashing together, with cricket caught in the middle.
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