Kavya Maran: The expansion of the Sunrisers brand into the English cricket market has hit a massive geopolitical roadblock. Just hours after making history by signing Pakistan’s mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed for USD 255,000 (approx. Rs 2.15 crore) at The Hundred men’s player auction, the franchise’s official X (formerly Twitter) account for Sunrisers Leeds was abruptly suspended. While the platform cited a generic violation of “X rules,” the timing has ignited a firestorm of speculation across the cricketing world.
The controversy began on Thursday when owner Kavya Maran, seated alongside head coach Daniel Vettori, entered a heated bidding war with Trent Rockets to secure Abrar’s services. In doing so, Sunrisers Leeds became the first Indian-owned franchise in the tournament to break the “shadow ban” on Pakistani talent—a move that has triggered severe backlash from Indian fans who view the signing as a defiance of national sentiment.
A Departure from Tradition
The Sun Group, which owns Sunrisers Hyderabad (IPL) and Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SA20), has historically steered clear of active Pakistan players to respect the complex diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan. This pivot in The Hundred has left many loyalists in India feeling betrayed.
🚨 SUNRISERS LEEDS FRANCHISE OFFICIAL ACCOUNT SUSPENDED 🚨
– Last night at 8:30 PM, Sunrisers picked Abrar Ahmed in their team, and by 2:00 AM their Twitter account was suspended 😭😭.
– This shows the power of Indian people. Now Kavya Maran will understand what people’s… pic.twitter.com/sSPN475K6E
— Bemba Tavuma 🐐 (@gaandfaadtits) March 13, 2026
Head coach Daniel Vettori downplayed the political weight of the decision, stating that the move was purely tactical. Vettori revealed he had sought feedback from Australian players who faced Abrar earlier this year and decided to pursue the spinner based on merit. Crucially, Vettori noted there were no “internal meetings” regarding the nationality of players, reinforcing the ECB’s stance that selections should be based solely on performance and team needs.
The Digital Fallout
The fallout was near-instantaneous. As the news of the signing broke, ‘Boycott SRH’ began trending, and the franchise’s main Instagram handle reportedly saw a sharp decline in followers. However, the most curious development remains the suspension of the @SunrisersLeeds X handle. Fans attempting to access the page are met with a “Account Suspended” message, leaving the franchise without a primary digital voice during their biggest recruitment drive.
While Abrar Ahmed is the second Pakistani player sold in this auction—following Usman Tariq’s move to Birmingham Phoenix—the spotlight has fallen squarely on the Sunrisers due to their prominent Indian identity and Kavya Maran’s visible role in the auction room.
As the dust settles, the Sunrisers management finds itself in a precarious position: balancing the goal of building a winning global cricket empire against the deep-seated emotional and political expectations of their primary fanbase back home.
