Big Shock in India: Sunrisers Leeds Sign Pakistan Spinner Abrar Ahmed, Fans Angry

The selection of Pakistani mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed by Sunrisers Leeds for the 2026 Men’s Hundred season has sparked a major controversy and significant backlash, primarily due to the franchise’s ownership links to the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the player’s past social media activity. On March 12, 2026, Sunrisers Leeds (formerly Northern Superchargers, owned by the Indian-based Sun Group, which also owns IPL’s Sunrisers Hyderabad) signed Abrar Ahmed for £190,000 in The Hundred auction. This was the first time an Indian-owned franchise in any major T20 league (outside of Pakistan) signed an active Pakistani player, breaking an unwritten rule that has kept them out of the IPL since 2009. Indian fans responded furiously, pointing to the supposedly 2025 posts of Abrar Ahmed on social media that satirised the Indian Armed Forces. Suni Gavaskar, the former Indian team captain, criticised the move publicly, saying that money paid to Pakistani players also finances the state, which he claimed is a contributor to aggressive activities toward India.