Controversy over Sunrisers’ Leeds Signing Pakistani Cricketer, Call for Boycotting Sunrisers’ Hyderabad in IPL
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Mar 13: Amidst controversy over the Sunrisers’ Leeds, owned by Chennai-based media conglomerate Sun Group which also runs Indian Premier League (IPL) side Sunrisers Hyderabad, signing the Pakistani cricketer Abrar Ahmed in auction for The Hundred tournament, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice-President Rajeev Shukla on Friday said the Board cannot intervene as the signing was related to a foreign league beyond the jurisdiction of the Indian Board.
Sunrisers Leeds signed Pakistan leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed for 190,000 pounds on Thursday in auction in London for the upcoming The Hundred. The development drew significant attention, as the Indian owners have refrained from investing in Pakistani talent over the last few years. Kavya Maran, Sunrisers’ Chief Executive Officer (CEO), was present at the table with head coach Daniel Vettori when Sunrisers bid for Abrar.
The signing has sparked backlash on social media against Sunrisers Leeds co-owner Kavya Maran, with critics pointing to alleged remarks by the 27-year-old spinner mocking the Indian Air Force and Army during the period surrounding the events of Operation Sindoor in May last year. That move eventually triggered strong reactions online, with some fans in India expressing anger and even calling for a boycott of Sunrisers Hyderabad during the IPL season. Soon after criticism gained traction on social media, the X account operated by Sunrisers Leeds was suspended and no longer accessible on the platform.
Clarifying the situation, Mr Shukla said the franchise would have to take a call on the issue. “It is not in our domain (IPL), they have done it for some foreign league. They will have to take a call; we cannot do anything.” He explained that the BCCI’s jurisdiction was confined to the IPL and does not extend to overseas competitions where privately owned franchises operate.
“Our domain is limited to the IPL. We have nothing to do with what they do in a league outside that. How can we interfere with them signing a player in a foreign league. That’s up to them. It’s purely up to the franchise who have bought a team outside India. If they are taking some player outside India in that league, we are least concerned because, in IPL there is no such player,” he said.
According to media reports, the Indian media conglomerate Sun TV completed a full takeover of the franchise, formerly known as Northern Superchargers, last year. The group bought a 49 per cent stake from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the remaining 51 per cent from Yorkshire for around 100 million Pounds. Stakes in three other Hundred teams were also sold to investors who own IPL franchises. Sunrisers, whose sister franchises Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in SA20, have never previously signed an active Pakistan player. The Leeds-based side won a bidding war with Trent Rockets to secure Abrar shortly before the lunch break.
The auction had drawn scrutiny over whether the four franchises owned by IPL investors would bid for Pakistan players amid reports of a possible ‘shadow-ban’, despite the eight teams committing to selections based on “performance, availability and the needs of each team.”
Abrar was the second Pakistan player sold in the auction after Usman Tariq, who was picked up by Birmingham Phoenix for 140,000 Pounds (US$187,000). Trent Rockets and Phoenix are co-owned by their host counties, Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire, respectively, along with American investor groups.
Pakistan players have featured for several global T20 teams owned or part-owned by IPL franchises, but no active Pakistan international has played in the IPL since 2008 due to the long-standing geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan.
Sunrisers Leeds’ management later explained the cricketing logic behind bringing Abrar Ahmed into their squad. Former New Zealand captain Vettori explained that the team turned to overseas spin options after missing out on Adil Rashid, who was their priority in the auction.
“Once we missed out on Adil Rashid [to Southern Brave], who was a priority early on, then we obviously jumped into the overseas spinner. There were four or five guys that we were looking at and Abrar was one of them,” Vettori said after the auction.
Sunrisers had to compete with Trent Rockets in a bidding war but they were able to complete the signing for 190,000 Pounds (approximately Rs 2.34 Crore). However, he will not be the only Pakistan cricketer who will be playing in an Indian-owned T20 franchise.
Mohammad Amir and the controversial Pakistani spinner Usman Tariq, who grabbed headlines because of his bowling action during the just-concluded T20 World Cup, have both played for Trinbago Knight Riders. The team is owned by a consortium led by Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla and Jay Mehta – also the owners of IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders.
Former Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim played for Seattle Orcas in Major League Cricket (MLC) in 2025. The team is owned by GMR group, co-owners of the IPL franchise Delhi Capitals. Imad previously played for the KKR-owned Abu Dhabi franchise in the ILT20 league as well in the 2023-24 season.
Pakistan cricketer Usman Khan played for MI Emirates in the ILT20 in 2025, The team has the same owners as Mumbai Indians.
Sun TV completed its acquisition of The Hundred franchise, previously known as Northern Superchargers, by buying a 49 per cent stake from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the remaining 51 per cent from Yorkshire. Abrar was the second Pakistan player sold in the auction after Usman Tariq was bought by Birmingham Phoenix for 140,000 pounds while several other Pakistan players like Saim Ayub, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan went unsold.
