Sunrisers Leeds faced widespread criticism on social media after signing Pakistan mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed during The Hundred players’ auction on Thursday at Piccadilly Lights.

Abrar Ahmed, who has represented Pakistan in 38 T20I and was part of the recently concluded ICC T20 World Cup 2026 squad, entered the auction with a base price of £75,000.

A competitive bidding war developed between Sunrisers Leeds and Trent Rockets, with Kavya Maran’s franchise ultimately securing the spinner for £190,000, approximately Rs71.2 million.

The signing attracted online backlash from Indian fans, who criticized the decision as “shameful” and a “disgrace,” expressing that it violates the longstanding ban on Pakistan players in IPL.

IPL has banned Pakistan players since its inception in 2009, and critics argue that this move contradicts the league’s rules, which have remained unchanged for more than a decade.

Kavya Maran, owner of Sunrisers Leeds, defended the signing as part of strategic auction decisions, but criticism continues across multiple social media platforms and fan forums.

While calling for boycotts, a fan wrote that Abrar Ahmed mocked India during Operation Sindoor with a cup of tea gesture and celebrated excessively against Indian players in Asia Cup matches.

“Pakistanis have started mocking Indians because of Sunrisers Hyderabad. Thanks to Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kavya Maran,” wrote a social media user on X.

One social media user wrote that Kavya Maran and Sunrisers Hyderabad should be boycotted for selecting Abrar Ahmed, who mocked the Indian Army.

On the one hand, Pakistani fans reacted with memes and praised the IPL franchise owner, setting aside cricket rivalries and political tensions.

Social media user on X wrote, “Kavya Maran is the perfect example of beauty with brains,” while sharing a photo of Maran from the auction.