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Sunrisers Leeds signed Abrar Ahmed, making him the first Pakistani in an Indian-owned Hundred team. Usman Tariq and Mustafizur Rahman were also sold.
Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq and Mustafizur Rahman to feature in The Hundred (Instagram and PTI)
Sunrisers Leeds, owned by Chennai-based media conglomerate Sun Group, purchased mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed during the Hundred player auction on Thursday. This makes Ahmed the first Pakistan player to be signed by an Indian-owned franchise in the tournament.
The Sunrisers secured Ahmed for GBP 190,000 (approximately Rs 2.34 crore) after a bidding war with Trent Rockets. The League will run from July 21 to August 16.
Ahmed’s signing dispels the notion that Indian Hundred owners would not bid for Pakistan players, as IPL franchises have avoided them since 2009 due to strained diplomatic relations between the neighbouring nations.
The Sun Group, which also owns Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, took full control of the former Northern Superchargers last year, acquiring a 49 per cent stake from the ECB and the remaining 51 per cent from county club Yorkshire for around GBP 100 million. Sunrisers CEO Kaviya Maran attended the auction and handled the bidding.
They also own Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20 league, but do not have any Pakistan players on their roster.
Abrar was the second Pakistan player sold during the auction, following another mystery spinner, Usman Tariq, who was bought by Birmingham Phoenix for GBP 140,000 (approximately Rs 1.72 crore). However, Phoenix has no IPL affiliation.
Pakistan pacer Harris Rauf, off-spin all-rounder Saim Ayub, and spinner Shadab Khan went unsold. Seasoned left-arm seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi had earlier withdrawn from the auction. The only two Pakistan players in Wednesday’s women’s Hundred auction, Fatima Sana and Sadia Iqbal, also went unsold.
Fizz For Phoenix
Meanwhile, Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was sold to Phoenix for GBP 100,000 (approximately Rs 1.23 crore). It is worth noting that Rahman was released by the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders at the BCCI’s direction, leading to a series of events that culminated in Bangladesh’s exit from the recently concluded T20 World Cup.
Sussex all-rounder James Coles attracted the highest bid of the day from London Spirit, receiving GBP 390,000 (approximately Rs 4.8 crore).
(With inputs from Agencies)
March 12, 2026, 23:34 IST
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