Fans slam Kavya Maran after Sunrisers Leeds signs PAK spinner Abrar Ahmed

SunRisers Leeds owner Kavya Maran is facing backlash from the Indian cricket fans on social media for signing a Pakistani spinner during The Hundred 2026 Auction on Thursday. Kavya Maran also owns the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

Abrar's signing has sparked widespread backlash from several Indian fans on social media. The Karachi-born became the first Pakistani international to be signed by an Indian-owned franchise in the tournament, a move that drew massive criticism for Sunrisers Leeds.

Kavya went on to bid for Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed even after knowing that she will be targeted by the Indian cricket fans. Abrar Ahmed also trolled India during Operation Sindoor. He shared a social media post mocking the Indian Army with a tea gesture.

Kavya Maran's franchise Sunrisers Leeds acquired Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed for £190,000, which amounts to around Rs 2.34 crore in Indian currency. Abrar has mocked the Indian Army with the having tea video on his social media account.

Also read -The Hundred 2026 Auction: Full list of Pakistan players sold and unsold in the draft

Abrar Ahmed Faces Backlash After Signing

Abrar Ahmed has also mocked Indian cricketers with unnecessary celebrations during the Asia Cup 2025 tournament. Now, internet users are criticizing Kavya Maran for signing the Pakistani player.

One user said, "Kavya Maran's team, Sunrisers Leeds bought Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed for £190k. Abrar has mocked India with the tea picture and also mocked Indian players with unnecessary celebrations in the Asia Cup. Shame on you, SRH."

Another user said, "Kavya Maran is the perfect example of beauty with no brain." Another wrote, "ABRAR AHMED WON THE BATTLE BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN. Sunrisers Leeds bought Abrar Ahmed for £190,000 in The Hundred. Indian owner Kavya Maran picked Abrar Ahmed while other owners did not pick any Pakistani players."

Several other IPL franchise-owned teams in The Hundred did not sign any Pakistani players.

Let's take a look at how fans reacted to Abrar Ahmed's signing on social media:

IPL Franchises in The Hundred

Sunrisers Leeds is owned by the Indian media company Sun TV Network. The company recently bought the team, which was previously called Northern Superchargers. Sun TV Network also owns Sunrisers Hyderabad and Sunrisers Eastern Cape.

Before the auction, some reports said IPL-owned teams might avoid signing Pakistani players. This seemed true at first, as Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan were not sold. But Abrar Ahmed’s signing created a big reaction on social media.

The 2026 season of The Hundred includes IPL franchise owners. Four IPL teams are now part of the tournament as owners or stakeholders: