A consortium named DIDI India, short for “Delegation of Illegal Dhaka Immigrants – India” has submitted a written petition on Change.org to the Indian Premier League governing council chairman Rajeev Shukla, requesting that Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who plays for the Kolkata Knight Riders, be considered a domestic player in the franchise. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also been copied in the petition.

DIDI India, comprising illegal Bangladeshi immigrants mainly from West Bengal and a few from Assam, UP and Bihar, has pleaded in the petition, that they are a minority in India and need adequate representation in one of India’s biggest sporting events. “It pains our hearts to realize that even people from other countries have a quota in the IPL, but we don’t. As a minority in this country, don’t we have a voice? Is India not a secular country under Narendra Modi? It’s about time we had some representation and there’s no greater chance than this – with our own boy Shakib playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders as a foreign player. He needs to be made a domestic player ASAP,” read an excerpt from the petition.

“What does it take to fall under the domestic category as per the IPL rules? Just ID proof? If that’s all that’s necessary, then it’s no problem at all – we can get Shakib an Adhaar card by evening. KKR has already played 2 matches and are at a disadvantage on the account of being forced to use a domestic player as a foreign one, when they can bring in another foreign player in the playing eleven. Not fair at all,” the petition further claimed.

Team owner Shah Rukh Khan, however, said that he’s unaware of the petition and that it doesn’t make a difference to him. “Ehhhh, I don’t come there for the c-c-c-c-c-c-cricket, haan! I come there just to give the flying k-k-k-kisses to the audience and to do the c-c-c-cartwheels when we win! So I don’t know,” SRK told The UnReal Times.

KKR bowling coach Wasim Akram was supportive of the move. “Look hair, if we get Shakib bhai as a domestic plare, we can bring in Pat Cummins to strengthen our balling attack,” Akram said.

IPL governing council chairman Rajeev Shukla said that it was too early to decide on anything. “I will talk to eShakib, eShah Rukh, eSrini Mama and decide,” Shukla was quoted saying.

When the petition began to draw alarming reactions, TMC spokesperson Derek O Brien slammed the reactions, stating that people were making a mountain out of a molehill. Later he excitedly exclaimed, “Yay! If this petition is admitted, it’s a new quiz question for me – who’s the first international player to be considered a domestic player in the IPL? Woohoo!”