The ECB anticipated that the first auction of The Hundred's private era on March 12, 2026, would be a joyful milestone. Instead, it has sparked a heated geopolitical debate in India. SunRisers Leeds, owned by the Sun Group and affiliated with the IPL's SunRisers Hyderabad, created a social media firestorm after winning a bidding war for Pakistan's mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed.
The signing, worth £190,000 (about. Rs 2.34 crore), is a milestone event. This is the first time in many years that an Indian-owned franchise has actively recruited a Pakistani international.

The primary source of the uproar is a series of contentious social media statements purportedly made by Abrar Ahmed in mid-2025. Following a period of increased cross-border tensions, Abrar allegedly disseminated content that Indian supporters claim ridiculed the Indian Armed Forces.
As news of the deal spread, hashtags like #ShameOnSRH and #BoycottSunrisers trended on X. Critics claimed that by awarding a lucrative contract to a player who publicly criticized Indian security personnel, the franchise owners neglected national sentiment for tactical reasons.

Some criticized SunRisers brand ambassador Kaavya Maran for aggressively bidding on Abrar Ahmed during Thursday's auction in London.For years, Indian teams shunned Pakistani players out of respect for national sentiments. But if money and foreign leagues enter the scene, that spine vanishes. Indian owners, Indian brands, and no national backbone. Stop claiming to represent India if profit is more important than the country," one X user remarked.

Indian-owned team purchases Pakistani spinner.
The deal comes after months of suspicion that the four Indian-owned teams in The Hundred - SunRisers Leeds, MI London, Manchester Super Giants, and Southern Brave - would impose an unwritten rule that would exclude Pakistani players. This tendency has been witnessed in South Africa's SA20 and the UAE's ILT20, where IPL-owned teams have never signed a Pakistani cricketer.
On the eve of the auction, the ECB allegedly issued a harsh warning to all eight cricket directors, reminding them that barring players based on nationality would contravene UK anti-discrimination legislation.

Notably, this is the first season in The Hundred's six-year history with Indian owners, following the league's privatization last year, which attracted a number of Indian investors.
MUSTAFIZUR'S FATE FOR ABRAR?
Following the backlash, speculation on social media has grown as to whether SunRisers Leeds may be forced to withdraw Abrar Ahmed’s contract. A group of X users alluded to a recent precedent involving Mustafizur Rahman and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The BCCI authorized KKR to cancel the Bangladeshi pacer's contract in January 2026, despite paying Rs 9.20 crore for him at the IPL 2026 auction.

The action came in response to tremendous pressure from what critics described as fringe political parties in India, following reports of targeted violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. While SunRisers Leeds is governed by the ECB, many fear that Abrar may face the same commercial and political pressures that forced Mustafizur out.
From a cricketing standpoint, the move, led by head coach Daniel Vettori, is a masterstroke. Abrar has emerged as one of the world's most dangerous white-ball spinners, collecting 52 wickets in his last 38 T20Is at an impressive economy rate of 6.67.
SunRisers Leeds administrators have stated that the selection was solely based on cricket merit and team requirements.By signing Abrar, they effectively deconstructed the concept of a shadow ban, though they now have the tough task of dealing with a public relations issue in their key commercial market, India.