Kavya Maran slammed over Abrar Ahmed inclusion; Team X account suspended

LONDON: The owner of Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kavya Maran, came under fire for Abrar Ahmed’s inclusion in the team, while the team’s X account was also suspended.

Yesterday, IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad owner Kavya Maran bought Abrar Ahmed for her team Sunrisers Leeds for 190,000 pounds in The Hundred.

Many users in India reacted strongly to this decision and criticized the franchise owner, Kavya Maran.

Critics say that including a Pakistani player is a move that goes against the current national sentiments. The debate on social media is still ongoing.

Indian users are demanding a ban on the Sunrisers Hyderabad on social media.

Two Pakistani players were selected during the 2026 edition of The Hundred auction, which took place at Piccadilly Lights in London on Thursday.

Mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed was picked by Sunrisers Leeds for £190,000 (PKR 7.12 crore) in the auction, while Usman Tariq was selected by Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000 (PKR 5.32 crore).

However, many Pakistani superstars remained unsold during the auction. Fast bowler Haris Rauf, all-rounder Shadab Khan, and batter Saim Ayub remained unsold during their respective auctions.

Moreover, Pakistan’s ODI captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, withdrew from the auction just a day before the bidding took place. Other international players who withdrew from the auction just a day before the bidding took place are Quinton de Kock, Sunil Narine, AM Ghazanfar, and Peter Siddle.

The signing of Abrar Ahmed is expected to alleviate any concerns that Pakistani players might be ignored by franchises associated with the Indian Premier League or Indian investors.

Earlier, it was reported that a total of 14 Pakistani cricketers were shortlisted from a list of 63 registered players for the auction, with most of them being seam bowlers and all-rounders.