Indian politician Shashi Tharoor criticized the BCCI's decision to ask the Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL squad. Tharoor questioned the politicization of sports, asking who is being punished—the nation, individual, or religion. He argued that cricket should not bear the burden for attacks on minorities in Bangladesh and that sportsmen should be insulated from such political strains, advocating for a broader perspective in international relations.