Controversy started even before the start of IPL, countrymen angry with Sunrisers over Pakistani player issue

By Samira Vishwas On Mar 13, 2026

New Delhi, March 13, 2026 – Like every year, this year too IPLControversy has arisen even before it begins. A big controversy has arisen in London after the defeat of the first male players of ‘The Hundred 2026’. Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed joins franchise owned by Kavya Maransunrisers leads‘He has bought it, after which the anger of Indian fans has erupted on social media. This franchise is headed by industrialist Kalanidhi Maran’s Sun Group and its CEO is his daughter Kavya Maran.

What did BCCI say?

After the controversy escalated, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has also reacted in this matter. BCCI Vice President Rajiv Shukla clearly said, “This matter does not come under the jurisdiction of the board. This is a matter of foreign league and that league itself will have to take a decision in this regard. BCCI cannot do anything in this.”

Why did you buy Abrar?

Amidst the controversy, team head coach Daniel Vettori has given clarification on this decision. He said that the first choice of the team was England’s star spinner Adil Rashid, but in the finals he was bought by the Southern Brave team. Then Sunrisers Leeds looked at the options of foreign spinners and finally included Abrar Ahmed in the team.

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Sunrisers leeds’s x (twitter) account also suspended

After the purchase of Abrar Ahmed, there was a lot of anger on social media in India. Meanwhile, the official However, the real reason for suspending the account has not been revealed yet.

🚨HUGE! Sunrisers Leeds’ official pic.twitter.com/JReCEeJECx
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) March 13, 2026

Abrar bought for Rs 2.34 crore

Pakistan’s leg spinner Abrar Ahmed’s base price was around Rs 92.5 lakh, but there was a long bid between Sunrisers Leeds and Trent Rockets to buy him in the auction. Ultimately Sunrisers Leeds included him in their team for £190,000 (approximately Rs 2.34 crore). In this way, Abrar Ahmed has become the first Pakistani player to play in ‘The Hundred’ for an Indian-owned team.

Main causes of dispute

Old Social Media Posts: Indian fans have discovered some old posts of Abrar Ahmed, in which he had expressed anti-Kashmir issue and anti-India sentiments. Screenshots of these posts social media But due to it going viral, there is a lot of anger among the people.

Accusations of fundamentalist ideology: Some users also allege that Abrar supports some ideologies which are against the security and integrity of India.

Mark on Kavya Maran: Indian fans are more angry that why the franchise of Kavya Maran, who runs the popular Indian team like Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), spent such a huge amount (Rs 2.34 crore) on such a controversial player. Campaigns like #BoycottSunrisers are also being seen on social media. Due to this controversy, the brand value of Sunrisers Leeds is being affected. The team management has termed the player’s selection as merely ‘strategic’, but the fans’ anger has not subsided yet.