New Delhi, Jan. 4 -- Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) spokesperson Vinod Bansal on Sunday criticised the Kolkata Knight Riders for hiring Mustafizur Rahman for Rs 9 crore.

The inclusion of the Bangladesh player had sparked a political backlash in India, particularly amid the recent targeting of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, and various opinions have been raised about Mustafizur's selection by KKR for the IPL 2026 season. Mustafizur was picked up by the Kolkata-based franchise for a whopping Rs 9.20 crore at the IPL auction in December last year.

Speaking to ANI, Bansal questioned why the team hired a Bangladeshi player for such a handsome amount of money amid the systematic and reckless killing of Hindus in the country.

"If KKR considers ...