'Mustafizur Rahman For Rs 9.20 Cr...': Ex-KKR Star Puzzled Over 'Overpriced' Buy at IPL Auction

IPL 2026: The Kolkata Knight Riders spent a whopping Rs 9.20 Cr to get the services of Bangladesh's veteran pacer Mustafizur Rahman, but was such a splurge necessary? Earlier in the auction, KKR had already spent Rs 18 Cr for Matheesha Pathirana. Former Kolkata Knight Riders player Aakash Chopra is still trying to figure out the logic behind it. As per Chopra, it is one thing to spend big on Pathirana, but not Mustafizur - who is past his prime. He also doubted the fact that Mustafizur may not even be in the playing XI. 

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'Lot of money for someone who is not even in the starting XI'

"There is a supply and demand story for sure, but Mustafizur Rahman for ₹9.20 crore. That's a lot of money for someone who is not even in the starting XI. One thing is to give ₹18 crore to Pathirana because you have to play that player 100 percent, or to give ₹25.20 crore to Cameron Green as you would play him all 14 matches," Chopra said on his YouTube channel. 

Chopra reckons Mustafizur is going to be Pathirana's back-up and hence the money splurged on him was not necessary.

"Mustafizur is actually a backup for Pathirana. He is a high-quality backup. A better backup than that wasn't available in this auction, to be very honest, but ₹9.20 crore," he observed.

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Can KKR go All The Way? 

After MI and CSK, KKR is the side that has won most IPL titles. The Knights boast of three IPL titles. The 2025 season was not one of their best as they could not even make it to the playoff, but this season - they would like to change it and do better.