Days Before IPL 2026, SunRisers franchise has come under heavy criticism on social media after signing Pakistan mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed during the men’s player auction of The Hundred on Thursday.
Kavya Maran’s Sunrisers Leeds, a sister team of SRH bought Pakistan leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed for USD 255,000 or 2.34 crore on Thursday. Abrar became the first Pakistani cricketer to be signed by an Indian-owned franchise in the English competition after Sunrisers secured his services.
The move sparked strong reactions from several Indian fans, who criticised the franchise and its owner Kavya Maran for signing a Pakistan player and allegedly going against national sentiment.
Kavya Maran was present during the auction, at the table alongside Sunrisers head coach Daniel Vettori as the franchise participated in the bidding process. Ahead of the auction, there was heavy scrutiny over whether the four Indian-owned teams in the Hundred would bid for Pakistan players amid reports of a potential shadow ban.
Sunrisers Leeds Account Suspended
Just shortly after the signing of Abrar Ahmed was announced, the official X account of Sunrisers Leeds was suspended. There has been no official explanation from the platform regarding the suspension.
However, when users attempt to access the account, a pop-up message appears stating, “Account suspended.” According to X policy, the platform suspends accounts that violate its rules.
Backlash on Social Media
Sunrisers Leeds faced intense criticism on social media soon after signing Pakistan mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed with many Indian fans taking to X to question the franchise’s decision, arguing that an Indian-owned team should not sign a Pakistan player amid ongoing geopolitical tensions between the two countries.
Several users criticised franchise owner Kavya Maran and accused the team of ignoring national sentiment for competitive gain. The backlash quickly gained momentum online, with hashtags and posts targeting the franchise circulating widely, turning the signing into a major talking point across social media.
A user on X hit out at the franchise and said, “The country gave you support, respect, fame, and wealth, betraying that very same one for the sake of money is vile. These cricket franchises are truly snakes in the sleeve. Ashamed.”
Another user on X shared an old video of Abrar Ahmed mocking India and the Indian Army with Balakot strikes jibes, this video is from last month. Shame on Kavya Maran and SRH to buy this India hater in their team Sunrisers Leeds with the hashtag #BoycottSRH.
https://x.com/choga_don/status/2032306708794785887?s=20
Some users even called for suspension of SunRisers from IPL. A user said, SunRisers should be suspended from IPL otherwise it is a disgrace to our cricket.
Another user tagged Jay Shah, IPL and BCCI and said, “Please suspend Pakistani franchise SunRisers Hyderabad who hate India and the Indian Army.”
“Kavya Maran’s franchise Sunrisers Leeds acquired Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed for £190k. Abrar was literally used to mock India with the having tea picture and used to mock Indian players with unwanted celebrations in Asia Cup. Shame on you SRH,” said another user.
One of the users went further to even comment, “Kavya Maran is the perfect example of “Beauty with no brain.”
Sun TV’s Takeover of Leeds Franchise
The Leeds-based franchise, formerly known as Northern Superchargers, is now fully owned by the Sunrisers group. Sun TV, the Indian media conglomerate behind the Sunrisers brand, completed the takeover last year.
Even before the auction began, there was significant scrutiny over whether the four Indian-owned teams in The Hundred would bid for Pakistan players. Reports had suggested the possibility of a shadow ban on such signings. However, ahead of the auction, all eight franchises in The Hundred stated that their selections would be based solely on “performance, availability, and the needs of each team.”
Sunrisers’ Previous Record
Sunrisers’ other franchises, Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20 league have never signed an active Pakistan international.
In the auction, Sunrisers won a bidding contest against Trent Rockets to acquire Abrar Ahmed. Head coach Daniel Vettori later explained the reasoning behind the move. He revealed that he had consulted Australian players who had faced Abrar earlier this year, after which he decided to pursue the spinner.
Vettori also clarified that the franchise did not hold any internal discussions about whether to avoid signing Pakistan players during the auction. Abrar Ahmed was the second Pakistani cricketer to be picked in the men’s auction. Earlier, spinner Usman Tariq was bought by Birmingham Phoenix for USD 187,000.
While Pakistan players have featured in T20 teams owned by IPL franchises in other global leagues, no Pakistan international has played in the IPL since 2008 due to ongoing geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan.
Criticism Mounts Over Franchise’s Decision
The decision by the Sunrisers franchise to sign Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed has understandably triggered sharp criticism from a section of Indian fans, many of whom view the move as insensitive to prevailing national sentiment.
For an Indian-owned franchise, especially one led by a prominent figure like Kavya Maran, such a signing reflects either a lack of awareness about public emotions surrounding India–Pakistan relations or a willingness to overlook them in pursuit of cricketing advantage.
The franchise appears disconnected from the broader public mood and the strong sense of national loyalty that influences how many fans view sporting ties with Pakistan. Observers have gone further, accusing the management of being overly eager to accommodate Pakistan players in overseas leagues despite the absence of cricketing ties between the two countries at the bilateral and IPL levels.
While the franchise may have made the decision purely from a performance and team-balance perspective, the optics of the move have fuelled criticism that it prioritised strategy over sensitivity to the sentiments of a large section of its fan base.