The Hundred: SRH Under Fire After Sunrisers Leeds Buys Pakistan Spinner Abrar Ahmed In 2026 Auction

London: The 2026 auction for England's franchise league, The Hundred, witnessed an interesting and historic turn on Thursday, March 12. Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed was added to Sunrisers Leeds for £190,000 (approximately ₹2.34 crore). Sunrisers Leeds is owned by the Sun Group, led by industrialist Kalanithi Maran. Sunrisers CEO Kavya Maran and head coach Daniel Vettori were present at the auction table.

What happened at 2026 auction of The Hundred?

It should be noted that the Sun Group also owns the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Sunrisers Leeds outbid Trent Rockets to acquire Abrar Ahmed at the auction held at Piccadilly Lights in London. The team will be captained by England captain Harry Brook.

It's been several years since a franchise affiliated with the Indian Premier League signed a Pakistani player. In fact, Pakistani players haven't been allowed to play in the IPL since 2008. This unofficial rule has also been observed in other T20 leagues, such as SA20 (South Africa 20) and ILT20 (International T20), where IPL-owned teams have never purchased Pakistani players. However, Sunrisers Leeds has broken this notion by acquiring Abrar Ahmed.

Does ECB support inclusion of Pakistan players? 

Before the auction, there were reports that Pakistani players would not be included in the four IPL-owned teams. Following this decision, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) issued a stern warning that player selection should be based solely on merit, given Britain's strict anti-discrimination laws. Following this decision, Sunrisers Leeds' acquisition of Abrar Ahmed is being considered a historic step.