New Delhi: Pakistan mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed’s signing by Sunrisers Leeds — owned by Chennai-based media conglomerate Sun Group — for £190,000 (about Rs 2.34 crore) at Thursday’s men’s Hundred auction in the UK has triggered backlash among some Indian cricket fans online.
The 27-year-old leg-spinner, who entered the auction with a base price of £75,000, drew bids from Sunrisers and Trent Rockets before CEO Kaviya Maran secured him in the final sale of the morning session.
This makes Abrar the first Pakistan player to join a team owned by Indian investors in the tournament, defying speculation that the four IPL-linked franchises would steer clear of Pakistani players. Since 2009, there has been a shadow ban on Pakistani players from the IPL following strained relations between the two neighbours.
Backlash on X followed soon after the signing, with hashtags such as #ShameOnSRH and #BoycottSunrisers trending. Some users called for boycotts of the franchise and unfollowed its social media accounts. Kaviya Maran was targeted as well.
The anger was partly fuelled by social media posts shared by Abrar in 2025 during a period of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, which users said mocked the Indian armed forces during Operation Sindoor.
🚨 Meet Abrar Ahmed
– He used to mock Abhinandan with a tea gesture
– He used to mock Indian players with unwanted celebrations
– He used to mock Indian soldiers during the Operation Sindoor
Despite everything Kavya Maran and Sunrisers had brought him in the Hundred league.… pic.twitter.com/Z41auspDe3
— Tejash (@Tejashyyyyy) March 12, 2026
🚨🚨My blood is literally boiling right now. How could SRH sign Abrar Ahmed — a Pakistani player who has repeatedly mocked our soldiers and even mocked Abhinandan on social media? He even mocked our forces during Operation Sindoor. This is absolutely shameful.
If people can… pic.twitter.com/9WKFtCc85X
— Sonu (@Cricket_live247) March 12, 2026
Pakistani cricketer Abrar Ahmed posted a photo on Instagram on 1st March 2025, holding a cup of tea with the caption "Fantastic Tea".
He is mocking IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, as on 1st March in 2019, India compelled Pakistan to release him.
Except for… pic.twitter.com/BX2khfmdwd
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) March 2, 2025
Adding to the frenzy, Sunrisers Leeds’ official X account was suspended a few hours after the auction, apparently for platform rule violations. There was no official confirmation that the suspension was related to the backlash.
A day before the auction, however, the England and Wales Cricket Board reportedly reminded team directors that excluding players solely based on nationality could violate UK anti-discrimination laws.
Sunrisers head coach Daniel Vettori said the team had not been instructed to avoid Pakistan players and had approached the auction with all players under consideration.
“We came into the auction with every player available to us,” Vettori told BBC Sport. “As soon as this option was available there were a number of very good international spinners that were an option, but Abrar was a priority.”
Vettori added that Abrar’s variations and unfamiliarity among English domestic batters made him an attractive pick.
“He’s unique in the amount of variations and a lot of, particularly domestic players, won’t have seen him before,” the former New Zealand captain said.
Abrar was the second Pakistan player sold during the auction after Usman Tariq, who was picked up by Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000.
In a similar controversy earlier this year, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instructed the Kolkata Knight Riders to terminate Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman’s Rs 9.2 crore contract with the franchise following geopolitical tensions with Bangladesh.
While Sunrisers Hyderabad comes under the jurisdiction of the BCCI, Sun TV’s Leeds franchise operates under the ECB.
The auction marks the first season of The Hundred since the league opened its franchises to private investors, several of whom are linked to IPL teams.
Sun TV took control of the Leeds franchise – formerly Northern Superchargers – last year in a deal reportedly worth around £100 million.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)