Dhaka, Dec. 17 -- When the Kolkata Knight Riders confirmed the signing of Mustafizur Rahman at the IPL auction, the franchise marked the moment with a familiar image: the Bangladeshi fast bowler smiling over a plate of biryani.

The image, generated digitally and shared on KKR's social media, felt apt. Kolkata's love affair with biryani is well known, and Mustafizur had just secured the most lucrative IPL contract of his career.

At 92 million rupees, the deal took many by surprise.

Those expecting an emotional outpouring from Mustafizur were always likely to be disappointed. The left-arm seamer has long been known for his understated demeanour, rarely revealing much through words or body language.

His response to a dramatic auction was...