Mustafizur Rahman (Getty Images) Thursday’s Hundred auction produced several points with Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman and two Pakistan players finding buyers and grabbing the headlines.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!Mustafizur has been acquired by Birmingham Phoenix for £100,000 (Rs 1.23 crore approx), marking a new chapter after a turbulent few months that began with his sudden release from Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.The Bangladeshi left-arm paceman was let go by KKR on the instructions of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, sparking a wide debate in Bangladesh. The decision created a diplomatic and cricketing ripple effect that eventually culminated in Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the recently concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, making Mustafizur’s exit from the franchise one of the most talked about controversies of the season.
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While Mustafizur’s signing caught the eye, two Pakistani players were also picked in the auction. Mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed bought Sunrisers Leeds for £190,000 (around Rs 2.34 crore) after a bidding war with Trent Rockets. Abrar’s signing is significant as Sunrisers Leeds are owned by Chennai-based Sun Group, making him the first Pakistani player to join an Indian-owned franchise in the competition.
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Another Pakistani mystery spinner, Usman Tariq, was picked up by Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000 (about Rs 1.72 million). However, Phoenix has no direct association with any IPL franchise.Several other Pakistani stars failed to attract offers. Fast bowler Haris Rauf, all-rounder Saim Ayub and spinner Shadab Khan remained unsold while veteran pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi had earlier pulled out of the auction.Among other big deals, the best deal of the day was secured by Sussex all-rounder James Coles, who joined London Spirit for £390,000 (around Rs 4.8 billion).The upcoming edition of The Hundred is scheduled to run from July 21 to August 16.
For full list of matches, venues and timings, see IPL 2026 Full Schedule, Schedules and Team Match Dates here.
