Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed, right, celebrates (AP/PTI) Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla has clarified that the board has no authority to intervene in the dispute surrounding the signing of Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed by the Sunrisers franchise for the upcoming season of The Hundred.Owned by Sun TV Network, the franchise faced heavy criticism across social media platforms after acquiring Abrar during the player auction. Many users in India expressed their anger at the decision, citing the prevailing national sentiment. Franchise owner Kavya Maran was also targeted online, while the official X (formerly Twitter) account of Sunrisers Leeds was reportedly suspended amid the backlash.
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Despite the mounting criticism, the franchise has yet to issue an official statement. However, on Friday, Shukla made it clear that the matter does not fall under the BCCI’s jurisdiction as the tournament is being played outside India.
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“This is not about IPL at all. It is an overseas league. It is not in our domain. There is nothing we can do. They have to take a call,” Shukla told news agency ANI on Friday afternoon.During Thursday’s auction, the franchise bought Abrara, who is currently the world’s number three bowler in T20 Internationals, for £190,000 (approx. US$255,000). At the auction table, head coach Daniel Vettori and Maran were seen making a successful bid, beating out competition from the Trent Rockets.
Sunrisers management explains decision to sign Abrar Ahmed
After the signing, Vettori explained that the team targeted Abrar after missing out on England spinner Adil Rashid, who had already been drafted by another side. He also mentioned that Pakistani spinner Usman Tariq was part of the franchise’s plans earlier, but once Abrar was secured, the management decided not to go ahead with another spinner.Indian investment in The Hundred expanded significantly in October 2025, with four teams in the competition receiving support from Indian owners. Since then, there have been speculations suggesting that Indian-owned franchises might avoid signing Pakistani players. Sunrisers’ move to sign Abrar has effectively dispelled these rumours.In fact, only two Pakistani cricketers were selected during the men’s hundred auction this year: Abrar and Tariq. However, Sunrisers’ decision drew strong reactions in India, with many fans urging the franchise to reconsider the signing.
The backlash is not the first controversy involving a franchise associated with the IPL
This is not the first time that a franchise associated with the IPL has criticized a foreign signing. Earlier this year, Kolkata Knight Riders faced backlash after including Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman in their squad. Criticism intensified following reports of violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. The situation eventually cooled down after the BCCI intervened and ordered KKR to release the left arm pacemaker.The fallout from this episode also affected international cricket. Bangladesh later refused to travel to India for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, forcing the tournament organizers to replace them with the Scotland national cricket team in the 20-team competition, which was eventually won by the Indian national cricket team.
