Sunil Gavaskar Slammed As Kavya Maran Bags Support For Sunrisers' Abrar Ahmed Move

Kavya Maran and Sunil Gavaskar [Source: X]

The internet moves like the ebb and flow of water with its ever-changing nature and unpredictable trends. Sunil Gavaskar was the latest victim of the troll gang, where he received backlash over his recent comments regarding the Hundred 2026 auction.

Notably, Sunil Gavaskar commented against the buying of Pakistan-origin players in the recently concluded The Hundred 2026 auction, after a reported and rumoured ban on Pakistan players to be bought by IPL owners, for which Gavaskar received a tremendous amount of backlash from Indian netizens.

What Did Sunil Gavaskar Say About Pakistan Players And Kavya Maran's Stance?

The Pakistan players were almost given a shadow ban by IPL franchise owners in The Hundred 2026. Almost all of the nations, alongside Gavaskar, supported the shadow ban, going against buying or supporting any Pakistan player.

Especially after the recent geopolitical tension between the two countries, the most recent militant attack at Pahalgam sparked charges between the two countries, which led to flare-up situations.

Hence, cricketing ties were also affected, with the Indians completely boycotting Pakistan on every stage of the game. However, almost a year after the event, Kavya Maran, the owner of IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad, and the 100 franchise Sunrisers Leeds, bought Abrar Ahmed for €190,000 or approximately 2.34 crore INR.

Also Read: Delhi Capitals Head Coach Makes Shocking Pakistan Claim Amid Sunrisers-Abrar Ahmed Saga

This move by Kavya Maran has been severely criticised by many cricket experts, and Sunil Gavaskar was one of them. Sunil, commenting on the move by Kavya, said, “paying Pakistani players is like contributing to the deaths of Indians”.

The larger context behind this comment from Gavaskar has been the massive intelligence warfare amongst the two countries, where the Line of Control has been deeply affected since the Kargil War.

Netizens Thrash Gavaskar For Hypocrisy

Yet, netizens found Gavaskar's comment bafflingly negative and called out the needle of hypocrisy on him, given the fact that Gavaskar shared the same commentary box in the T20 World Cup 2026 alongside Pakistan cricket experts.

With netizens pouring in backlash against Gavaskar, the legend is now on the back foot, receiving the thrashing, despite SRH getting criticised earlier for the move.

Also, Sunil Gavaskar is known to share controversial comments regarding India vs Pakistan conflicts. This time, he had to face the heat. 

Nevertheless, let's take a look at how fans reacted to Gavaskar's comment on Kavi Maran's Abrar Ahmed buy:

Ajay Kamath

@ajay43

Do you have the courage to protest when we play Pakistan three times in every tournament at prime time just for cash?

Satish

@Turiya1879

@ajay43 @goeltm_tg Is sitting next to Pak commentators during thr WC game okay with him?

Jimmy CHU

@IndianBigDog

@ajay43 Yes, these boomers have the courage to promote Gutka Paan masala.

Mar 16, 2026, 9:18 PM

Ajay Kamath

@ajay43

@Turiya1879 @goeltm_tg He’s just being really silly here

Pankaj Hedaoo

@PankajHedaoo

@ajay43 He can't criticise BCCI As a batsman he was THE GREATEST OPENER As a person: as insecure middle class as they come! No spine

Top3hero_fan

@Top3hero_fan

@ajay43 Playing AGAINST them And PAYING them are totally different. Use your brain uncle.

Lover of cricket

@loverofcric10

@ajay43 Or he does commentary with Pak fellows for money ? Dancing with Pak players for fun ?

Hassan Khan 🇵🇰

@hassanrk

@ajay43 He is doing commentary than !!! Hypocrite

mike khan

@mikekhan2

@ajay43 You do these such comments from Imran khan or Jabed miandad against Indians but gavaskar likes fuelling hate against other nations.he might be a fine player but as a person his calibre is very low

Sharad Joshi

@academicjoshi

@ajay43 Exactly. Sunny should just stick to his opinions on cricket. Anything more and he’s making a fool of himself and comes across as a hypocrite. Demeans his legacy as a champion of cricket both on and off the field (highlighted at the recent Sportstar awards).

Sundar Rajan

@srajan57

@ajay43 These legends always go after soft targets, forgetting their own hypocrisy.

Asad Anwar

@asad_anwar9079

@ajay43 This is the last thing that I expected from my all time hero! Very unfirtunate

Eflatmajor

@Eflatmajor2

@ajay43 When Sunny Goatkar going to retire? We have had enough of him and bewigged AB.

What It Means For Sunrisers To Buy Abrar Ahmed?

Notably, Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed was the first Pakistan player to be signed by an India-owned franchise in the tournament, as Leeds secured the deal after a bidding battle with Trent Rockets.

This now brings up many possibilities. Abrar Ahmed in the squad means the SRH owner, Kavya Maran, will be meeting him in the dugout. If not often, then at least once.

This might dissolve the India-Pakistan tussle, since a welcoming approach on the field might ease the tension that the two countries have built up for so long after the Pahalgam terror attack.

Although how much this will impact international cricket is still a concern for the future, it might yet be a step or an open arm towards accepting Pakistan cricketers.

For the unaware, Pakistan players are not allowed to play in the Indian Premier League at the moment. They last played in the IPL back in 2008 due to diplomatic tensions.

Also Read: R Ashwin Joins Hands With Gautam Gambhir; Takes Jibe At Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma