3 players who can replace Mustafizur Rahman at KKR for IPL 2026 ft. Fazalhaq Farooqi

In a surprising development, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has directed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Mustafizur Rahman ahead of the IPL 2026 season, reported PTI on Saturday (January 3). This came amid ongoing tension between India and Bangladesh.

Notably, Rahman had a base price of INR 2 crore. The Knight Riders had secured the left-arm pacer at the auction for INR 9.2 crore after a bidding war with Delhi Capitals (DC) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). His absence will be a massive setback for the Kolkata-based franchise, owing to his ability to deliver in the powerplay and the last four overs. A regular in international cricket for Bangladesh, the 30-year-old boasts a strong T20 record with 402 scalps in 315 games, including 65 wickets in the IPL.

In this article, we take a look at three unsold players at 2026 auction who can replace Mustafizur Rahman at KKR for the next IPL season:

Fazalhaq Farooqi

Fazalhaq Farooqi - Source: Getty

Afghanistan pacer can be a like-for-like replacement for Mustafizur Rahman. The left-arm pacer has played in several T20 leagues around the world, including CPL, BBL, The Hundred, and ILT20. The 25-year-old has bagged 186 wickets in 149 T20s at an economy rate of 7.45, comprising four fifers. In addition, he has 137 international wickets across all three formats.

However, Farooqi has managed only six wickets in 12 games at an economy rate of 10.32. Having said that, he has scalped 12 wickets in 10 matches for MI Emirates at an economy rate of 7.86 in the ongoing edition of ILT20. His base price was INR 1 crore.

Jason Behrendorff

Jason Behrendorff - Source: Getty

Jason Behrendorff is another left-arm pacer from Australia who can be a perfect fit for the Knight Riders. The 35-year-old has been in red-hot form with four wickets in as many games for Melbourne Renegades in the ongoing edition of the BBL. Behrendorff brings in a wealth of experience, having scalped 144 wickets in 110 matches in the T20 league.

Apart from the above, the speedster has also bagged 19 wickets in 17 matches in the IPL. Overall, he has bagged 217 wickets in 181 T20s at an economy rate of 7.64, including three four-fers. The experienced bowler has also represented Australia in 17 T20Is and 12 ODIs. His base price is INR 1.5 crore.

Joshua Little

Joshua Little - Source: Getty

Joshua Little is another promising left-arm seam bowling option for KKR in IPL 2026. The 26-year-old has played 74 T20Is and 42 ODIs for Ireland, picking up 82 and 61 wickets, respectively. Like Mustafizur Rahman, Little has played in several T20 leagues around the world, including the SA20, ILT20, CPL, and others.

The Irish pacer represented Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 2023 and 2024 editions of the IPL, taking 11 wickets in as many games at an economy rate of 8.92. Overall, Little has 167 wickets in 148 T20s at an economy rate of 7.88, including a fifer and three four-fers. He is available for a base price of INR 75 lakh, the cheapest of the lot.

Edited by James Kuanal