A significant controversy has erupted within the cricket world after Kavya Maran-owned franchise Sunrisers Leeds signed Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed in the course of the males’s public sale of The Hundred. The franchise, owned by Chennai-based Solar Group – which additionally runs the IPL staff Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) – discovered itself on the centre of a social media storm shortly after the deal was confirmed.
Followers shortly took to social media platforms, criticizing the transfer and accusing the franchise of ignoring nationwide sentiment. The controversy intensified after stories instructed that Kavya Maran herself raised the paddle in the course of the bidding battle that secured Abrar Ahmed’s companies.
The Hundred Public sale: Abrar Ahmed’s signing sparks debate
Abrar grew to become the primary Pakistani worldwide cricketer to be signed by an Indian-owned franchise in The Hundred, marking a big second in franchise cricket. Sunrisers Leeds secured the thriller spinner for £190,000 (round ₹2.34 crore) after a aggressive bidding battle with Trent Rockets.
The 27-year-old leg-spinner, usually nicknamed “Harry Potter” due to his glasses, entered the public sale with a base worth of £75,000. Nonetheless, curiosity from a number of groups shortly pushed his worth up, finally making him the costliest Asian participant within the 2026 Hundred Public sale.
The signing is notable as a result of Pakistani gamers haven’t been a part of the Indian Premier League since 2009 as a result of strained relations between India and Pakistan. Through the years, many IPL franchise house owners who invested in different T20 leagues around the globe have additionally usually prevented signing Pakistani cricketers, resulting in hypothesis about an unofficial “shadow ban.”
Sunrisers Leeds, beforehand often known as Northern Superchargers, was totally acquired by Solar TV final yr in a deal reportedly value round £100 million. The corporate purchased a 49% stake from the England and Wales Cricket Board and the remaining 51% from Yorkshire County Cricket Membership, giving it full management of the franchise.
Apparently, the Solar Group’s different groups – Sunrisers Hyderabad within the IPL and Sunrisers Jap Cape in SA20 – have by no means beforehand signed an energetic Pakistani participant.
Followers brutally roast Kavya Maran
The announcement of Abrar’s signing triggered fast backlash on-line. Quickly after Sunrisers Leeds posted the information on social media, customers flooded the remark sections with criticism directed on the franchise proprietor Kavya Maran.
Disgrace on Kavya Maran for getting this Porki in her staff
#TheHundred #Disgrace #SRH #IPL2026 #KavyaMaran pic.twitter.com/UxkjcGYPrm
— Adamesh Dhoni (@AdamDhoni1) March 13, 2026
Disgrace on Kavya Maran 🐸
For Deliver Pakistani ABRAR AHMED in staff , I hope David Warner & Bhuvneshwar is not going to be part of SUNRISES anybody extra
काव्या मारन ,#PunjabKings #OutKaro JK Tremendous Cement #IPL_2026 pic.twitter.com/gWIFCalxzB— ROLEX 🇺🇸 (@TPD81498900) March 12, 2026
Kavya Maran destroyed SRH pic.twitter.com/gGmsJTPWlF
— theboysthing (@theboysthing07) March 12, 2026
Kya majburi thi Kavya Maran.. batao sabko
Disgrace on you #KavyaMaran #Disgrace #AbrarAhmed #Sunrisers pic.twitter.com/mgGp7Sff3g
— R S 🇮🇳🇮🇳 (@rs_rajender) March 12, 2026
Many followers additionally pointed to Abrar’s previous on-field gestures, significantly a controversial tea cup gesture in the course of the Asia Cup that some Indian supporters interpreted as mocking Indian gamers.
One social media consumer wrote: “Leeds acquired Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed for £190k. Abrar was actually used to mock India with the having tea image and used to mock Indian gamers with undesirable celebrations in Asia Cup. Disgrace on you SRH.”
One other remark learn: “Sunriser Leeds picked Abrar Ahmed for £1,90,000. He is similar Abrar Ahmed, who by no means will get bored with mocking Indians with that Tea Cup gesture. I don’t know what to say however one factor is obvious all agenda & propaganda of British media towards Indian house owners was baseless!”
Some followers even went so far as calling for a boycott of Sunrisers Hyderabad within the upcoming IPL season.
https://x.com/hinduismOg/standing/2032117630132502889
One consumer wrote: “Enjoying towards is completely completely different from paying the gamers who mocked India throughout Operation Sindoor.”
Others described the choice as an “absolute shame,” questioning whether or not the franchise had prioritized efficiency over the feelings of Indian cricket followers.
Including one other twist to the state of affairs, the official X (previously Twitter) account of Sunrisers Leeds was suspended simply hours after Abrar’s signing was introduced. Guests making an attempt to entry the web page now see a easy message stating “Account suspended.”
Whereas the platform has not clarified the precise cause behind the suspension, the timing has fuelled hypothesis that the extraordinary on-line backlash might have performed a task.
Additionally READ: IPL 2026 – BCCI proclaims schedule for the primary part; RCB to tackle SRH within the opening contest
Different Pakistan gamers within the The Hundred Public sale
Abrar was not the one Pakistani participant to discover a purchaser in the course of the public sale. Thriller spinner Usman Tariq was picked up by Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000 (round ₹1.72 crore). Nonetheless, that franchise doesn’t have any IPL possession connections.
In the meantime, a number of outstanding Pakistan gamers – together with Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan and Saim Ayub – went unsold within the public sale. Star quick bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi had withdrawn from the public sale earlier than it started.
Additionally READ: Nahid Rana, Tanzid Hasan Tamim shine as Bangladesh crush Pakistan within the first ODI
