Four days after Kavya Maran raised her paddle and made history at The Hundred auction in London, the Abrar Ahmed story has grown into one of the most combustible controversies in world cricket. What started as a bold, cricket-first decision by Sunrisers Leeds has now drawn in Sunil Gavaskar, the BCCI, the PCB, an X account suspension, IPL boycott threats — and a very real possibility that Abrar may not even set foot at Headingley this summer.
Here is the full picture, with every latest development.
The Signing That Started It All
Sunrisers Leeds successfully bought mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed for £190,000 at the inaugural men’s Hundred auction in London, making him the first Pakistan player signed by an Indian-owned team in the tournament. The deal followed a bidding battle with Trent Rockets and quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of the entire event.
There was significant scrutiny on whether IPL-linked franchises would bid on Pakistan players after reports of a potential shadow ban, even after the eight franchises had committed to selecting based solely on performance, availability, and the needs of each team. Three of the four Indian-owned franchises — MI London, Manchester Super Giants, and Southern Brave — did not bid for a single Pakistan player. Sunrisers Leeds broke ranks entirely.
Sunrisers Leeds head coach Daniel Vettori explained the reasoning directly after the auction: after missing out on Adil Rashid, who went to Southern Brave for £250,000, the priority was to secure a quality overseas spinner. Rishad Hussain, Usman Tariq, and Abrar Ahmed were all on the radar. Spinners, Vettori noted, have historically been the players who succeed most at Headingley.
Gavaskar’s Explosive Statement — Latest Development
The most significant new development arrived Monday morning. Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar reacted to the signing by stating that the furore across India is not surprising. He said that whether it is an Indian entity or an overseas subsidiary making the payment, if the owner is Indian then he or she is contributing to Indian casualties — calling it as simple as that.
Gavaskar acknowledged that Daniel Vettori, who hails from New Zealand, may not understand the India-Pakistan dynamic and may have wanted Pakistani players in his team — but argued that the Indian owner should have had an understanding of the situation and discouraged the purchase. He also said fans should not be surprised if they boycott Sunrisers Hyderabad’s matches during IPL 2026 as a result.
The statement drew immediate reaction across Indian and Pakistani media. Critics pointed out that Gavaskar’s remarks mix geopolitical tensions with cricket in a way that puts franchise owners in an impossible position. Supporters argued it reflects the sentiment felt across India since the May 2025 conflict with Pakistan.
The PCB NOC Problem: Abrar May Not Play at All
The controversy over the signing has been dramatically complicated by a separate cricket problem — there is now a serious chance Abrar Ahmed never actually plays for Sunrisers Leeds this summer.
Pakistan is scheduled to tour the West Indies for a two-match Test series from July 15 to August 7, 2026, running directly into The Hundred’s window of July 21 to August 16. The PCB’s NOC rules, tightened by chairman Mohsin Naqvi after a string of international failures in 2025, tie the granting of NOCs to performance-based assessments and national team priorities.
Sources say Abrar’s chances of actually playing in The Hundred are now being assessed at 50-50. Although he would have considered his commitments before registering for the auction, his availability is now genuinely in doubt. Sunrisers Leeds head coach Vettori confirmed that Abrar is third-ranked in the ICC T20 bowling rankings, which is precisely what made him so attractive — but that same status makes it harder for the PCB to release him during an active international window.
Sunrisers Leeds have not yet commented publicly on the NOC situation.
Social Media Storm: Account Suspended, Boycott Calls Grow
Sunrisers Leeds faced a fierce social media backlash after the signing. Some users highlighted that Abrar had mocked India on social media following the India-Pakistan conflict in May 2025 and had called for fans to boycott IPL side Sunrisers Hyderabad. The Sunrisers Leeds X account was suspended on Thursday. It was up and running again on Friday with a new follower base, but comments again focused heavily on Abrar’s signing.
Kavya Maran, who represents the Sun Group and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the IPL, was present at the auction table when the bid was placed. The backlash that followed has been directed largely at her personally, with calls to boycott SRH in IPL 2026 — which is scheduled to begin March 28.
BCCI Breaks Silence
BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla addressed reporters on Friday and downplayed the situation, saying the development in an overseas league is beyond the board’s jurisdiction and ambit. The BCCI has not taken any formal action against the Sun Group and has not indicated it plans to. As a private franchise owner operating in a non-BCCI tournament, Kavya Maran is legally and administratively free to sign any ECB-eligible player at The Hundred auction.
What Happens Next
The Hundred 2026 runs from July 21 to August 16. Sunrisers Leeds begin their campaign at Headingley, where Vettori believes a mystery spinner is exactly what the conditions demand. Whether that spinner is Abrar Ahmed now depends entirely on the PCB.
At the same auction, Abrar became the second Pakistani player sold — Usman Tariq was earlier picked by Birmingham Phoenix, while several others including Haris Rauf and Saim Ayub remained unsold. The women’s auction saw both Fatima Sana and Sadia Iqbal go unsold, adding to the picture of a complex, unresolved relationship between the Pakistani cricket community and the Indian-owned franchise world.
For Kavya Maran, the coming days will test whether the signing that made headlines around the world translates into actual cricket — or becomes one of the most expensive unsigned statements in the sport’s history.
Sources: ESPNcricinfo, Al Jazeera, India TV News, Sunday Guardian Live, Cricket Country, Crictoday, ProBatsman — reporting current as of March 17, 2026.