Sunrisers Leeds Face Massive Backlash After Signing This Player
The Sunrisers Leeds franchise owned by Chennai-based conglomerate Sun TV has come under heavy criticism on social media after signing Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed during the The Hundred 2026 players auction.
Abrar became the first Pakistani player to be signed by an Indian-owned team in The Hundred. Sunrisers Leeds paid USD 255,000 (around INR 2.34 crore) to secure the mystery spinner.
However, the decision triggered strong reactions from many fans in India. Several users criticised the franchise and team owner, saying the move went against national sentiment. In recent years, political decisions between nations have led to changes in on-field cricketing decisions.
During the IPL 2026 auction, Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was picked by Kolkata Knight Riders. Mustafizur was earlier released by KKR on the board’s orders after political conflicts, which later played a part in Bangladesh’s exit from the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Sunrisers Leeds X Account Suspended After The Signing
Soon after the Sunrisers Leeds announcement, the team’s official account on X was suspended.
Users visiting the page saw a message stating “Account suspended”. The platform did not give a specific reason for the suspension.
The notice displayed on the page said “X suspends accounts which violate the X Rules.”
The suspension came shortly after the franchise confirmed the signing of Abrar Ahmed during the auction.
The account suspension could also be due to mass reporting of the X account by Indian cricket fans.
Sunrisers Leeds Bid for Abrar Ahmed
The signing also drew attention because of earlier discussions around whether Indian-owned teams would bid for Pakistani players in the tournament.
Reports before the auction suggested there could be a possible shadow ban on Pakistani players.
Despite the speculation, Sunrisers Leeds won a bidding war against Trent Rockets to sign Abrar Ahmed.
The Pakistan spinner is widely known for his mystery spin and strong performances in T20 cricket.
Daniel Vettori Explains The Decision
Following the backlash, Sunrisers Leeds head coach Daniel Vettori defended the move.
He explained that the signing was purely a cricketing decision.
According to Vettori, the franchise targeted Abrar Ahmed after missing out on England spinner Adil Rashid during the auction. Rishad Hussain and Usman Tariq were also on the team’s radar.
Sunrisers Leeds Ownership Background
The Sunrisers Leeds franchise recently underwent a major ownership change.
Last year, Indian media company Sun TV took full control of the team in The Hundred.
The company purchased 49% of the franchise from the ECB and 51% from Yorkshire. The team was previously known as Northern Superchargers before the takeover.
Sun TV already owns other cricket teams including Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in SA20.
Interestingly, neither of those franchises had previously signed an active Pakistani player before the Abrar Ahmed deal.