Who is Abrar Ahmed? Pakistani star picked by Kavya Maran’s team

Mumbai: Indian cricket fans reacted strongly on social media after Sunrisers Leeds, owned by the Sun TV Network, signed Pakistan mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed during The Hundred 2026 player auction. The franchise, connected to IPL team Sunrisers Hyderabad and led by owner Kavya Maran, secured the 27-year-old spinner for USD 255,000, approximately Rs 2.35 crore.

Soon after the announcement, many fans on X, formerly Twitter, began criticising the decision. Several posts called for a boycott of the franchise and questioned why an Indian owned team would sign a Pakistani cricketer amid ongoing political tensions between the two countries.

So, who is Abrar Ahmed?

Abrar Ahmed is a Pakistani leg spinner known for his mystery spin bowling. The 27-year-old has represented Pakistan in all three international formats and has played 46 Tests, 28 ODIs, and 52 T20Is.

He gained attention for his wicket-taking ability and variations in spin, which often trouble batters during the middle overs. According to head coach Daniel Vettori, the franchise signed Abrar purely for cricketing reasons after missing out on England spinner Adil Rashid in the auction.

Vettori explained that the team was looking for an overseas spinner and considered several options, including Bangladesh’s Rishad Hossain and Pakistan’s Usman Tari,q before selecting Abrar Ahmed.

What Is Happening In The Controversy

The controversy started immediately after Sunrisers Leeds confirmed Abrar Ahmed’s signing. Some fans claimed that Indian owned teams in The Hundred should avoid selecting Pakistani players because of strained relations between India and Pakistan.

Old social media posts from Abrar also resurfaced online, which further angered some users. Certain fans accused the spinner of mocking India during previous matches, particularly referencing celebrations linked to the “cup of tea” gesture associated with Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman.

Hashtags like #BoycottSunrisers started trending on X, with many users targeting Kavya Maran and the franchise for the decision. The backlash also led to the official X account of Sunrisers Leeds being suspended shortly after the auction announcement. Although the platform did not provide any specific reason for the suspension, the account was restored after a few hours and is now accessible again on X.

Despite the online criticism, the franchise maintains that the decision was based only on team strategy and performance needs for The Hundred tournament.