Sunrisers Leeds, an English cricket team that plays in The Hundred, is facing backlash on social media after they bought Pakistan's Abrar Ahmed at the inaugural men's Hundred auction in London on Thursday. The team which was previously known as Northern Superchargers, is owned by Sun TV Network Ltd., which also owns Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad, bought the spinner for £190,000.
Abrar thus became the first Pakistan player to be signed by an Indian-owned team in the competition.
The deal though has not got down well with the Indian cricket fans as they took to social media platform to vent their frustration.
For years Indian teams avoided Pakistani players out of respect for national sentiment. But the moment money and foreign leagues enter the picture, that spine disappears.
— Godman Chikna (@Madan_Chikna) March 12, 2026
Indian owner, Indian brand, zero national backbone.
Stop pretending to represent India if profit matters…
???? ABRAR AHMED PICKED BY KAVYA MARAN'S SUNRISERS ????
— Fan Account Richard Kettlebourogh (@RichKettle07) March 12, 2026
Abrar Ahmed is signed by Kavya Maran's Sunrisers Leeds for £190,000 - becoming the first Pak player to be picked by Indian franchise ????????
Now, Pakistan can't blame India for not picking their Players ????pic.twitter.com/rANe1PTmII
@SunRisers – This feels like a poor decision, regardless of the circumstances. I used to support the team when they were up against the bigger franchises in the IPL, but not anymore. I understand it's a business, but it shouldn't come at the cost of values and principles.
— Tin Tin (@RAKYNITIN) March 12, 2026
Are you kidding me, Sunrisers? Even after what he was posting, you are still taking him?
— Hardik jain (@HarshitJai61226) March 12, 2026
@RCBTweets you have just one job on 28th of March pic.twitter.com/MGszcFbfMj
— Aaraam Pasand (@aaraam_pasand) March 12, 2026
What a disgraceful decision by Kavya Maran ? This shameless move would ensure that even Sunrisers Hyderabad also gets a lot of hate. Even Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharm would face the heat with no fault of theirs. There are thousands of cricketers around the world who respect…
— Suman Saurabh (@SUMANsaurabh07) March 12, 2026
Well done for signing someone who has constantly mocked Indian soldiers pic.twitter.com/JOr6fjY6sc
— Prantik (@Pran__07) March 12, 2026
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Abrar Ahmed's history of mocking Indian cricket
27-year-old Abrar has a history of taking potshots at Indian cricket. Last during during a India-Pakistan ODI match at the ICC Champions Trophy, Abrar gave a controversial send-off to Shubman Gill after picking his wicket. His actions sparked criticism and he was called out by the Indian fans.
In a separate incident, Abrar found himself at the center of controversy for his Instagram post where he appeared to be mocking Indians by referencing Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman. The post was not well received by Indian fans, who in turn took to social media to criticise him.
Scrutiny around The Hundred auction
There was considerable scrutiny surrounding The Hundred auction, as several media reports suggested that IPL-owned teams in the tournament would not bid for Pakistani players. However, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) allayed the fears as it warned all the franchises against snubbing Pakistan players.
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