Cricket frequently unites fans across national boundaries, while at times one decision will spark a tempest of debate on social media. 

And yes, yesterday’s call was one of them! 

A case in point is the signing of Abrar Ahmed by Sunrisers Leeds (a franchise owned by the Sun Group who are also owners of Sunrisers Hyderabad), which occurred during the player auction for The Hundred 2026.

What was supposed to be business as usual turned into a social media storm with thousands of users expressing their displeasure with Sunrisers Leeds and calling for boycotts of the franchise, including various messages directed at SRH owner Kavya Maran and the executives of Sunrisers.

Here’s what transpired and why the outcry continues to grow. 

Below is a timeline of the kalesh: 

During the 2026 auction for The Hundred, Sunrisers Leeds acquired Abrar Ahmed (a Pakistani mystery spinner) during a bidding war with Trent Rockets, for a total of £190,000 (approximately ₹2.34 crore).

The signing created quite an uproar when it made headlines around the world, because Abrar Ahmed was the first Pakistani national player to sign with any franchise that was owned by an Indian company in The Hundred.

The franchise is owned by the Sun Group, who own a significant percentage of the Leeds-based franchise. They also own Sunrisers Hyderabad, which is why they were able to sign him.

At the auction, Kavya Maran, CEO of Sunrisers, took charge of the bidding for the player by lifting up the paddle.

Though players signed at an auction may be surprising, that was only the beginning of the uproar. 

Yes, internet pe pura lion kingle jungle ban gaya hai….

What Created Controversy Over Abrar Ahmed’s Signing

Much of that uproar was caused by the cricketer’s earlier use of social media, where some believe he mocked the Indian army with his past posts.

A commonly used example of this is one of the posts about the aftermath of Operation Sindoor when India retaliated against a terrorist attack in early 2025.

Cricket followers point to his many posts about the “tea is fantastic” meme that became widespread on social media after Abhinandan Varthaman was taken prisoner in Pakistan in February 2019 and then returned home.

Many fans of cricket in India feel that an Indian franchise should not have signed him because of this, and let’s ask ourselves, are they really overreacting when they say this? 

“I have unfollowed and blocked….” Social Media Reacts 

Soon after the auction, some users created phrases such as #BoycottSRH and #BoycottSunrisers to express their disinterest in the franchise for not respecting the feelings of its fans.

SIGH Hyderabad yaawr! Aisi bhi kya majburi thi? 

A social media user said:

“Congratulations to @SunRisers for paying lakhs of pounds to a Pakistani player so he can make more ‘tea is fantastic’ posts and spit on our armed forces with a smug smirk on his face.”

Someone posted:

“I have unfollowed and BLOCKED @SunRisers and @sunrisersleeds for buying Abrar Ahmed. He mocked Abhinandan with his silly social media posts. Can’t support an IPL team which is not true to its own country.”

Multiple users have expressed their anger towards the franchise owners of SunRisers & Kavya Maran.

One person pointed out:

“Meet Kavya Maran and SRH. They have a problem with CSK using Anirudh’s songs for video edits, but they don’t have a problem picking Pakistani player Abrar Ahmed in The Hundred League.”

Others are seeking action from the BCCI, Indian cricket Board:

“@BCCI please ban SunRisers as well and impose restrictions on Indian franchises if they want Pakistani players,” wrote one user while sharing the hashtag #BoycottSunrisers.

Multiple long-time supporters claim to no longer support the team:

“I am a SunRisers and Deccan Chargers fan from the beginning but from now I have become a hater,” another post read.

A particularly viral post was made:

“Extremely bad signing by Sunrisers Leeds which is owned by Sunrisers Hyderabad/Kavya Maran. All other Indian owners stayed away from signing Pakistani players.”

A subsequent, unrelated but also furious comment states:

“Shame on SRH for signing this Pakistani bowler. Kavya Maran and the management have lost all sense.”

X Account of Sunrisers Leeds Appears to be Suspended? 

Subsequently, users noticed that there was a suspension of the official X account for Sunrisers. However, there is no definitive reason as to why that happened. Many users believe that the suspension results from the enormous outrage and the ongoing calls to boycott.

Bhayi, ab pacchtaaye ho kya jab twitter waali chidiya chug gayi khet? 

There were also many screenshots circulating across social media showing what seems to be the suspended account, which have added to the controversy.

Moreover, the situation demonstrates the very complex nature of the relationship between India and Pakistan with respect to cricket.

The history and the rivalry has been EPIC to say the least! 

Since 2009, Pakistanis have not played in the IPL primarily due to the ongoing political discord between India and Pakistan. Although they frequently play in numerous international leagues around the globe, they tend to not be signed in the IPL.

For this reason, the deal to sign Abrar Ahmed received significant attention, and led to a fresh bout of garma-garam kalesh on the internet.

Adding to that interest is the fact that Usman Tariq, another Pakistan mystery spinner, was also sold at the same auction. He will be playing for Birmingham Phoenix in the sum of £140,000.

What’s up with the universe yaar? 

Haris Rauf and Saim Ayub, as well as other Pakistani players, didn’t get picked by any franchises in the auction.

This situation has once again shown that sports and politics/national identity are closely interconnected in our country.

They are two sides of the same coin, and every toss awaits a new lafda. 

Some fans believe that cricket leagues should not be affected by geopolitical situations, but should be determined solely by talent. Others argue that any franchises that are associated with Indian cricket should respect the opinion of the public when making decisions about any Pakistani players.

Neither Sunrisers Hyderabad nor Sunrisers Leeds has issued an official response to this backlash yet, although there has been a large amount of negative reaction through social media.

It appears as though the acquisition of Abrar Ahmed has become one of the most debated items from the 2026 Hundred auction.

If the reactions from social media are any indication of the continuing impact of this debate, then we can rest assured that this issue has a long way to go.    

Popcorn le aao, aur kursi ki peti baand lo.