The Sunrisers Leeds franchise has drawn strong reactions on social media after signing Pakistan mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed in the men’s player auction for The Hundred.
Abrar was purchased for USD 255,000, becoming the first Pakistani cricketer to join an Indian-owned team in the tournament. The move sparked debate among fans, particularly in India, with some users criticising the decision due to the long-standing cricketing and political tensions with Pakistan.
Franchise Leadership Present at the Auction
During the auction, team owner Kavya Maran was seen at the bidding table alongside head coach Daniel Vettori.
The Leeds franchise secured Abrar after reportedly winning a bidding contest against Trent Rockets. Before the auction, discussions had emerged about whether Indian-owned teams would select Pakistani players, though franchises later stated that player selection would be based solely on team needs, availability, and performance.
Official X Account Suspended
Shortly after the signing announcement, the official X (formerly Twitter) account of Sunrisers Leeds was suspended.
Visitors attempting to open the account see a notice stating that it has been suspended for violating platform rules. The platform has not publicly clarified the specific reason behind the action.
Ownership and Franchise Background
The Leeds-based team is owned by Sun TV Network, an Indian media conglomerate that completed a full takeover of the franchise in 2025.
The group acquired 49% of the team from the England and Wales Cricket Board and the remaining 51% stake from Yorkshire County Cricket Club. The franchise was previously known as Northern Superchargers before the rebranding.
Sunrisers’ Record With Pakistani Players
The Sunrisers cricket network also operates Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20 tournament in South Africa.
Neither of those franchises has previously signed an active Pakistan international player.
In the same auction, Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq was bought by Birmingham Phoenix for USD 187,000.
Pakistani cricketers have not played in the Indian Premier League since the inaugural 2008 season due to geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan.
