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Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed was signed by Sunrisers Leeds for £190,000 at The Hundred 2026 auction, marking a rare IPL-linked franchise signing a Pakistani player.
Kaviya Maran’s Sunrisers signed Pakistan spinner Abarar Ahmed for The Hundred (PTI and Instagram)
Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed was signed by Sunrisers Leeds for £190,000 at The Hundred 2026 player auction on Thursday, disproving earlier speculations that franchises connected to the Indian Premier League would avoid signing Pakistani players.
The Sunrisers franchise, owned by the Indian conglomerate Sun Group, headed by Kalanithi Maran, showed significant interest in Abrar and eventually secured his services for £190,000 (approximately ₹2.34 crore).
Bidding war between Sunrisers Leeds and Trent Rockets Abrar Ahmad sold at £190,000 to Sunrisers Leeds in the HUNDRED auction pic.twitter.com/4sQclrFlDf
— Usman (@jamilmusman_) March 12, 2026
The bidding took place at the iconic Piccadilly Lights, where Kaviya Maran’s Sunrisers Leeds outbid Trent Rockets to acquire the Pakistani spinner.
Abrar’s signing is noteworthy as it marks the first time in several years that a franchise linked to the IPL ecosystem has recruited a Pakistani cricketer in an overseas league auction.
Reaction to Sunrisers Leeds buying Abrar Ahmed was not kind. Fans took to social media to point out the Pakistan cricketer’s past antics, mocking India and army personnel.
Sunrisers-owned Leeds team in the hundred league picking Abrar Ahmed is peak hypocrisyAll that chest thumping about values and cultures vanishes the moment the auction hammer drops pic.twitter.com/vQFWSWi9uw
— Ash (@Ashsay_) March 12, 2026
Pakistanis are laughing at Indians & India for buying Abrar Ahmed in auction. Thank You Sunrisers!!— Rajiv (@Rajiv1841) March 12, 2026
Abrar Ahmed who constantly mocks India and posts stories against India has been bought by SRH in The Hundred leagueIf Knight Riders franchise had done the same the outrage would have been on a completely different level pic.twitter.com/utWj139mBw— Ashish Shrivastava (@ashishayush1177) March 12, 2026
Who Is Abrar Ahmed?
Ahmed, 27, is a leg-spinner who has played 46 Tests, 28 ODIs, and 52 T20Is for Pakistan. He was part of the Pakistan team during the recent 2026 T20 World Cup, where he bowled an impressive spell of 3/23 in the last Super Eight stage game against Sri Lanka.
This will be Ahmed’s first time playing in a T20 league in Europe, having previously featured only in the Pakistan Super League, the Bangladesh Premier League, and Major League Cricket (MLC). His participation, however, is subject to clearance from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Sunrisers Leeds was formerly known as the Northern Superchargers and was taken over by the Indian company this year.
Earlier in the day, Usman Tariq, the mystery spinner known for his distinctive pause in the bowling action and remarkable performances at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, was bought by Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000, becoming the first Pakistani player to be sold at this year’s auction.
March 12, 2026, 19:51 IST
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