Sunrisers Leeds face public backlash for buying Abrar Ahmed [Source: X]In a shocking development, Sunrisers Leeds, the Indian-owned franchise in The Hundred, faced heavy backlash after the team signed Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed for £ 190,000 (approximately Rs 2.34 crore). He became the first Pakistani player to be associated with a franchise owned by Indians.While no one doubts Abrar’s ability to deliver the goods in white-ball cricket, but due to the terror attack in Pahalgam last April, the ties between India and Pakistan worsened, and as a result, the Indian fans are angry with the Sunrisers for investing in a Pakistan player.The Indian fans took to social media to express their displeasure over this bizarre move by the Sunrisers, and as a result, their Twitter account (X) was suspended on Thursday, just hours after Abrar was sold to them. Both the franchise and team owner, Kavya Maran, came under scrutiny, and boycott SRH was trending online.SRH face Indian fans' wrath as social media ccount suspendedTension was already at an all-time high as the IPL-owned The Hundred franchise decided not to invest in players from Pakistan, and it was believed that only the non-IPL-owned teams would go after them. However, in a surprising turn of events, Abrar attracted significant interest from Kavya Maran’s team as they spent a hefty amount of money to acquire his services for the upcoming season.However, just minutes after buying Abrar, the Sunrisers were taken to the cleaners on social media, as the team had played with fire, and by midnight, their account was suspended. However, the reason is not yet been revealed by X.’“Account suspended. X suspends accounts that violate the X rules."Also Read: Varun Chakaravarthy Belts Mohsin Naqvi's Pakistan, Abrar Ahmed With T20 World Cup WinPakistan players who were sold, unsold in The Hundred auctionInterestingly, apart from Abrar Ahmed, only one other Pakistan player was sold in the The Hundred 2026 auction- the mystery spinner, Usman Tariq. Tariq was bought by Birmingham Phoenix for GBP 140,000 (Rs 1.72 crore approximately). However, unlike Sunrisers, the Phoenix have no connection with the Indian league.Only two Pakistan players had buyers in the auction as the likes of Saim Ayub, Haris Rauf, and Shadab Khan went unsold. Moreover, in the Women’s auction, Fatima Sana and Sadia Iqbal also found no buyers.What happens if Sunrisers follow KKR's path and release Abrar due to backlashA similar incident happened in the IPL 2026 mini auction when KKR invested in Bangladesh seamer Mustafizur Rahman. However, immediately after his purchase, the franchise faced backlash as at that time, there was a geopolitical tension between India and Bangladesh, and as a result, the Shah Rukh Khan-owned team was pressurised to release the player.KKR eventually released the pacer even before the tournament started, and this caused controversy as the Bangladesh Cricket Board took the matter personally, and they decided not to participate in the T20 World Cup 2026, which was held in India.If, under public pressure, Sunrisers Leeds takes a similar step, the franchise could face severe consequences as The Hundred is played in England and is governed by the ECB. The England and Wales Cricket Board could terminate their contract, or could also impose heavy fines for releasing a player after signing him.Also Read: RCB Kingmaker Issues Brutal Verdict As SRH Owner Signs Abrar Ahmed In The Hundred
.jpg?type=mq "RCB Kingmaker Issues Brutal Verdict As SRH Owner Signs Abrar Ahmed In The Hundred")
