During the recent player auction for The Hundred, Sunrisers Leeds made headlines by becoming the first Indian-owned franchise to sign Pakistani cricketer Abrar Ahmed. The Chennai-based media giant Sun Group, which owns the franchise, secured his services for around Rs 2.34 crore. In response to this acquisition, Rajeev Shukla, vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), emphasized that the board plays no role in the signing of players from Pakistan in global leagues. “This does not concern us. It’s not the IPL. What happens in The Hundred or other international leagues is beyond our jurisdiction,” he remarked to PTI. Following Abrar’s signing, the franchise faced criticism, leading to a temporary suspension of their X account shortly after the announcement. While the exact reason for the suspension remains unclear, the platform displayed a message stating, “Account suspended.” Abrar was the second Pakistani player sold during the auction, following Usman Tariq, who was acquired by Birmingham Phoenix for GBP 140,000 (approximately Rs 1.72 crore). Notably, the Phoenix franchise, owned by American interests, is not affiliated with the IPL. Since 2009, no IPL franchise has signed a Pakistani player due to ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan. Fans expressed their discontent on social media, criticizing the Sunrisers Leeds franchise and owner Kavya Maran for the decision to sign a Pakistani player amidst current geopolitical tensions. Maran attended the auction alongside former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori, stirring speculation about whether any Indian-owned team would opt for a Pakistani player. The signing of Ahmed has certainly sparked further debate in cricket circles. Meanwhile, the 2026 IPL season is set to commence on March 28, with the schedule for the first 20 matches released due to state elections. The opening match will feature defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. (With PTI Inputs)
