India, Jan. 1 -- The cricket pitch has turned into a political battlefield. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Uttar Pradesh MLA Sangeet Som has trained guns on Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan over the inclusion of Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman in the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Targeting Khan - a co-owner of the team - Som described the move as objectionable and went so far as to label him a "gaddar" for backing the decision.

The controversy erupted following the IPL 2026 auction, where KKR secured 'The Fizz' for a staggering Rs.9.20 crore. While the move was seen as a tactical masterstroke by cricket analysts, it has triggered a wave of nationalistic backlash amid rising diplomatic tensions between India an...