The decision to ask IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was not the result of deliberations within the Indian cricket board, nor was the Indian Premier League’s governing council consulted on the matter, The Indian Express has reported.

The development overshadowed a scheduled rest day in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20.

A Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director, who attended an emergency board meeting last night, told The Daily Star that the board will be sending an email to the ICC and the IPL governing body regarding the issue.

Ashraful said the issue should never have reached this point and reiterated that cricket should remain confined to the field.

South Africa's Dewald Brevis hit a 22-ball fifty as Chennai Super Kings beat Kolkata Knight Riders by two wickets on Wednesday, leaving the defending IPL champions in grave danger of missing the playoffs.

The top four teams at the end of the league phase will move into the play-offs of the popular and lucrative T20 tournament.

West Indies' Sunil Narine put in a fine all-round performance to keep holders Kolkata Knight Riders alive in the IPL with a tense 14-run win over Delhi Capitals on Tuesday.

Spinner Yuzvendra Chahal returned figures of 4-28 as Punjab Kings defended IPL's lowest ever total of 111 to down holders Kolkata Knight Riders by 16 runs in a thriller on Tuesday.

Sunil Narine starred with both the bat and the ball as Kolkata Knight Riders thrashed Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets to regain their winning momentum in the Indian Premier League on Friday.

Standing in Cummins' way will be fellow Australian and Kolkata quick Mitchell Starc, who rattled Hyderabad's top order in the first qualifier.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz left his hospitalised mother's bedside in Afghanistan to play a pivotal role in propelling Kolkata Knight Riders into the final on his first IPL appearance this season.

Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Cummins cost $2.5 million at auction, a record which stood briefly until Kolkata Knight Riders then paid $2.98 million for fast bowler Starc.

Gujarat Titans have been knocked out of the play-off race after rain forced their IPL match against Kolkata Knight Riders to be abandoned without a ball bowled in Ahmedabad on Monday.

Table-toppers Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in an Indian Premier League fixture today.

Narine's blitz, laced with six fours and seven sixes, guided Kolkata to 235-6 after they were invited to bat first in Lucknow's final home game.

Mitchell Starc picked up four wickets as a disciplined bowling performance helped Kolkata Knight Riders seal a 24-run victory over Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League on Friday.

The sports-mad city witnessed a near-packed house at the 66,000 capacity stadium.

Jonny Bairstow smashed an unbeaten century as Punjab Kings recorded the highest successful run chase in T20 cricket with an eight-wicket thrashing of Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League on Friday.

Kolkata Knight Riders survived a late charge by Royal Challengers Bengaluru batsmen to win by one run in an IPL thriller after Virat Kohli's angry outburst at his dismissal on Sunday.

Phil Salt's rapid 89 and three wickets for Mitchell Starc helped Kolkata Knight Riders race to a crushing eight-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday.