IPL Franchise Owner Kavya Maran Faces Criticism After Picking Abrar Ahmed in The Hundred

Sunrisers Leeds faced widespread criticism on social media after signing Pakistan mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed during The Hundred players’ auction on Thursday at Piccadilly Lights.

Abrar Ahmed, who has represented Pakistan in 38 T20I and was part of the recently concluded ICC T20 World Cup 2026 squad, entered the auction with a base price of £75,000.

A competitive bidding war developed between Sunrisers Leeds and Trent Rockets, with Kavya Maran’s franchise ultimately securing the spinner for £190,000, approximately Rs71.2 million.

The signing attracted online backlash from Indian fans, who criticized the decision as “shameful” and a “disgrace,” expressing that it violates the longstanding ban on Pakistan players in IPL.

IPL has banned Pakistan players since its inception in 2009, and critics argue that this move contradicts the league’s rules, which have remained unchanged for more than a decade.

Kavya Maran, owner of Sunrisers Leeds, defended the signing as part of strategic auction decisions, but criticism continues across multiple social media platforms and fan forums.

While calling for boycotts, a fan wrote that Abrar Ahmed mocked India during Operation Sindoor with a cup of tea gesture and celebrated excessively against Indian players in Asia Cup matches.

BOYCOTT SRH, BOYCOTT KAVYA MARAN 👎🏼

Kavya Maran's franchise Sunrisers Leeds acquired Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed for £190k.Abrar Ahmed was literally used to mock India with the cup of tea gesture during operation sindoor and used to mock Indian players during the Asia Cup with… pic.twitter.com/axjvSczdxB

— Cricket Central (@CricketCentrl) March 12, 2026

“Pakistanis have started mocking Indians because of Sunrisers Hyderabad. Thanks to Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kavya Maran,” wrote a social media user on X.

Pakistanis have started mocking Indians because of SRH.

Thanks to SRH and Kavya Maran pic.twitter.com/uvieQl8O8o

— Space Recorder (@1spacerecorder) March 12, 2026

INDIANS ANGRY AT KAVYA MARAN! pic.twitter.com/AMpzmuY67m

— Sports Yaari (@YaariSports) March 12, 2026

Sunrisers Leeds owned by Kavya Maran purchased Pakistan player Abrar Ahmed in England Hundred league

Can she also receive outrage like SRK or it is limited only to Muslim franchise owner?

pic.twitter.com/GOESqmT94P

— Veena Jain (@Vtxt21) March 12, 2026

One social media user wrote that Kavya Maran and Sunrisers Hyderabad should be boycotted for selecting Abrar Ahmed, who mocked the Indian Army.

🚨 SHAME ON KAVYA MARAN AND SUNRISERS FRANCHISE 🚨

– Abrar Ahmed, the Pakistani cricketer who mocked the Indian Army during Operation Sindoor with the caption “TV was fantastic,” has now been selected by the Sunrisers franchise for The Hundred.

– If the same thing was done by… pic.twitter.com/aI4km2IRlc

— Bemba Tavuma 🐐 (@gaandfaadtits) March 12, 2026

Kavya Maran and Sunrisers just ended up making a mockery of themselves with the decision of signing Abrar Ahmad pic.twitter.com/KfZIgy6gwb

— Vipin Tiwari (@Vipintiwari952) March 12, 2026

On the one hand, Pakistani fans reacted with memes and praised the IPL franchise owner, setting aside cricket rivalries and political tensions.

Social media user on X wrote, “Kavya Maran is the perfect example of beauty with brains,” while sharing a photo of Maran from the auction.

Kavya Maran is the perfect example of Beauty with Brain 😘 pic.twitter.com/PuoGNkbpIj

— SheR•ALI (@Sher__Ali) March 12, 2026

Thank you Kavya Maran for taking the first step to resolve tensions between Pakistan 🇵🇰 and India 🇮🇳!🏏❤️#KavyaMaran #AbrarAhmed #TheHundred pic.twitter.com/dyyV6I4IEh

— Laiba Abbasi 🏏 (@abbasiilaiba) March 12, 2026

🚨 GOOD MOVE BY KAVYA MARAN TO PICK ABRAR AHMED FOR CRICKET POINT OF VIEW 🚨

“Everyone is trolling Kavya Maran, but this is a victory for cricket. BCCI should not interfere in other countries leagues”

I don't understand why Indians trolling Kavya ?

pic.twitter.com/qADP5cNKCX

— Kiara (@crickiara) March 12, 2026

FEEL FOR KAVYA MARAN…!!! 💔

– Sunrisers Leeds owner facing huge backlash from Indian fans after buying Abrar Ahmed for 7.12 crore. pic.twitter.com/qVvo5yYey0

— Sheri. (@CallMeSheri1_) March 12, 2026

Sharing clear, practical insights on tech, lifestyle, and business. Always curious and eager to connect with readers.

Pakistani leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed has become one of the most expensive overseas spinners in The Hundred after Sunrisers Leeds secured him for £190,000 following an.

Multan Sultans have signed Pakistani fast bowlers Muhammad Ismail and Arshad Iqbal to strengthen their pace attack ahead of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11..

Pakistani cricketer Salman Mirza has sent a legal notice to a television journalist after allegations surfaced accusing him of harassing a female hotel staff member.

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) unveiled its 11th season trophy, named ‘Infinity,’ at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, marking the start of a grand.