At The Hundred 2026 Auction, the Indian-owned franchise Sunrisers Leeds acquired Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed, making him the most expensive Asian player. This bold move by Kavya Maran's team broke the unwritten 'shadow ban' on Pakistani players by IPL-linked franchises, leading to widespread criticism and backlash on social media.
In the upcoming edition of The Hundred, an Indian-owned franchise will have a Pakistani player in their squad as the IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad’s sister team, Sunrisers Leeds, signed Abrar Ahmed at The Hundred 2026 Auction at the Piccadilly Lights in London on Thursday, March 12.
The auction of the players for the sixth season of The Hundred witnessed a total of 421 players, 243 men and 178 women, going under the hammer, drawing intense attention as franchises competed fiercely for top talent. A total of 164 players, men and women combined, were sold to eight franchises out of the pool of 421 players, reflecting strong competition and strategic bidding as teams built their squads for the 2026 season.
At the auction, 16 Pakistani players, 14 men and 2 women, were officially shortlisted for the final bidding pool, out of which two were sold to the franchises. Abrar Ahmed’s acquisition by the Sunrisers’ Leeds grabbed attention, not only at the auction but also for being one of the few Pakistani players selected in The Hundred 2026, marking a notable moment in the tournament’s player draft.
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Kavya Maran’s, Franchise Makes Bold Acquisition
Though only two Pakistani players were picked by the franchises, Abrar Ahmed’s selection by Sunrisers Leeds stands out as a bold acquisition. Sunrisers Hyderabad’s sister franchise acquired the services of a Pakistani spinner for £190,000 (INR 2.34 Crore), making him the most expensive Asian player at the The Hundred Auction 2026.
Abrar Ahmed entered the auction at a base price of £75,000, and the Trent Rockets initiated the bidding at £100,000 before Sunrisers Leeds entered the bidding war. The two franchises were engaged in a prolonged and intense bidding battle, with the price steadily climbing until Sunrisers Leeds finally secured Abrar Ahmed for £190,000.
With this, Sunrisers Leeds became the first Indian-owned The Hundred franchise to acquire the services of a Pakistani spinner, grabbing headlines ahead of the 2026 season.
Another Pakistani player sold was Usman Tariq, who was acquired by Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000 (INR 1.72 Crore). The acquisition of two Pakistani players out of 16, including men and women, highlighted both the limited representation and the growing willingness of franchises to include talent across national lines in The Hundred 2026.
Sunrisers Leeds’ Break Away from ‘Shadow Ban’
Ahead of The Hundred 2026 Auction, it was reported by the BBC that Indian-owned franchises would not bid for Pakistani players and their participation would be largely restricted to the franchises that do not have any links with the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Out of eight teams, four are owned by Indian Premier League (IPL) stakeholders, including Manchester Super Giants (RPSG Group), MI London (Reliance), Sunrisers Leeds (Sun TV), and Southern Brave (GMR), all linked to IPL owners.
Since 2009, no Pakistani players have featured in IPL as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and franchise owners have consistently excluded them from the league due to ongoing geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan. With the IPL-linked franchises having investments and ownership in The Hundred teams, they were expected to follow similar unwritten rules regarding Pakistani players in their squads.
However, after the England and Wales Cricket Board’s clear stance on non-discrimination and open player selection, Sunrisers Leeds proceeded to bid for and sign Abrar Ahmed, challenging the previously assumed restrictions.
While other Indian-owned franchises avoided Pakistani players, Sunrisers Leeds’ signing of Abrar Ahmed broke tradition.
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Kavya Maran’s Sunrisers Leeds’ Heavily Criticized
Sunrisers Leeds, led by CEO Kavya Maran, decision to acquire the services of Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed has sparked a massive controversy and criticism on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), where fans and cricket enthusiasts expressed their disappointment at the Sunrisers franchise for breaking the perceived ‘no-Pakistan player’ tradition.
Taking to their X handles, fans and cricket enthusiasts slammed the move, calling it ‘disgraceful’, ‘shameful’, and ‘disappointing’, criticizing Abrar Ahmed’s past anti-gestures, especially the mocking Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman with the infamous ‘tea cup’ gesture, and questioning Kavya Maran’s judgment in prioritizing performance over national sentiment.
Others wanted SRH to be boycotted from the upcoming season of the IPL and expressed hope that Sunrisers would struggle on the field, with some fans calling for sanctions against the franchise and urging the management to reconsider its decision.
This is not the first time an Indian-owned overseas franchise has reportedly imposed a ‘shadow ban’ on Pakistani players. In the International League T20, no Pakistan players played for the franchises that owned IPL teams.
In the UAE-based league, the Desert Viper, owned by The Glazers Family, saw Pakistan included in their squad without controversy, highlighting a stark contrast in approach compared to Indian-owned franchises in The Hundred and IPL. Similarly, all six SA20 franchises are owned by the IPL teams, and Pakistan players are yet to feature in the tournament.
