Sunrisers Leeds Owner Faces Backlash Over Abrar Ahmed Signing, Team’s X Account Suspended
MUMBAI — The owner of Sunrisers Leeds, Kavya Miran, is facing criticism following the signing of Pakistani cricketer Abrar Ahmed, with the team’s official X (formerly Twitter) account reportedly suspended.
Yesterday, the IPL franchise purchased Abrar Ahmed for £190,000 to play in The Hundred with [“sports_team”,”Sunrisers Leeds”].
The decision has sparked a strong reaction in India, where many users criticized the franchise owner on social media. Critics argued that including a Pakistani player goes against current national sentiments.
The controversy has intensified online, with calls from some Indian users to ban the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise, further fueling the debate over cross-border player participation in cricket leagues.
#CrickIt | The Sunrisers franchise is having severe backlash on social media after acquiring Pakistan mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed in the men's player auction on Thursday. Abrar became the first Pakistani player to be signed by an Indian-owned team in The Hundred, after the… pic.twitter.com/qCYvaAgUcI
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) March 13, 2026
