The social media account of Sunrisers franchise Sunrisers Leeds has been suspended amid criticism after buying Pakistani player Abrar Ahmed in the auction of England’s popular league ‘The Hundred’. No clear reason behind this has been given by the platform. Typically, X suspends accounts that violate its rules.
Sunrisers bought Abrar
Abrar is the first Pakistani player to be bought by any Indian-owned team in ‘The Hundred’. The franchise bought him for 2,55,000 US dollars i.e. about 2.3 crore Indian rupees. Sunrisers franchise is facing resentment from cricket fans in India for this decision. According to fans, team owner Kavya Maran’s decision to buy a Pakistani player is against the sentiments of the country.
There was discussion about not buying Pakistani players
Before the auction, there was talk of Indian-owned franchises not buying Pakistani players. During this period, news of a possible ‘shadow ban’ also came to light. Team coach Daniel Vettori said that he had taken advice about Abrar from Australian players at the beginning of the year. On that basis it was decided to include him in the team. He clarified that there was no specific meeting within the franchise regarding whether or not to take Pakistani players.
Osman Tariq also found a buyer
Let us tell you that apart from Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq is the second player who was bought in the men’s auction in ‘The Hundred’. Tariq was bought by Birmingham Phoenix for US $ 187,000 i.e. about 1.7 crore Indian rupees. IPL’s Sunrisers Hyderabad had acquired the Leeds franchise of ‘The Hundred’ last year. This team was earlier known as Northern Superchargers. The franchise took control of the team by purchasing 49 percent stake from ECB and 51 percent stake from Yorkshire. However, before the auction, all eight franchises had made it clear that player selection would be done only on the basis of performance, availability and team needs. Sunrisers Leeds bought Abrar in a bidding war with Trent Rockets.
Abrar had made controversial posts
The main reason for the controversy is said to be some controversial social media posts allegedly made by Abrar in the year 2025. At that time, tensions were high between India and Pakistan and it is alleged that Abrar had shared posts in which the Indian Army was made fun of. As soon as the news of his signing came out, hashtags like #ShameOnSRH and #BoycottSunrisers started trending on Instagram. Critics say that by giving a big contract to a player who insulted the Indian security forces, the franchise owners have ignored the sentiments of the country for strategic gain. Some people also targeted Kavya Maran, considered the face of the Sunrisers brand. It was alleged that he made an aggressive bid for Abrar Ahmed during the auction held in London on Thursday. An X user wrote, for years, Indian teams maintained distance from Pakistani players out of respect for national sentiments. But as soon as money and foreign leagues come into play, that attitude disappears. Indian owners, Indian brands, but no care for national sentiment. If profit is more important than the country then do not claim to represent India.
Can a case like Mustafizur happen with Abrar also?
There has also been speculation on social media that Sunrisers Leeds may be forced to withdraw Abrar’s contract after the growing controversy. Some users gave the example of the recent case related to Mustafizur Rahman and Kolkata Knight Riders. Despite buying him for Rs 9.20 crore in the IPL auction in January 2026, KKR had to terminate Mustafizur’s contract on the instructions of BCCI. This decision was taken after pressure from some organizations in India when reports of violence against Hindus came to light in Bangladesh. Although Sunrisers Leeds comes under the jurisdiction of the England and Wales Cricket Board, many fear that the same kind of commercial and political pressure that led to Mustafizur’s ouster from the team may now fall on Abrar Ahmed.
