A storm surrounding Abrar Ahmed’s signing in The Hundred continued to grow after former IPL chairman Lalit Modi posted a pointed message that appeared aimed at Kavya Maran and her franchise, Sunrisers Leeds.
Sunrisers Leeds, owned by the same group behind Sunrisers Hyderabad, picked Abrar for £190,000 (approx. Rs 2.34 crore) at the inaugural men’s Hundred auction in London. The move triggered a massive backlash in India, given the long-standing absence of Pakistani players from IPL-linked ecosystems.
Without naming anyone directly, Lalit Modi wrote on X: “Investing 2.34 crore on a Pakistani player when the fans are already on edge? I know a thing or two about managing optics and building empires. Call me.”
The controversy even led to Sunrisers Leeds’ social media account being temporarily suspended amid the outrage, underlining the scale of public reaction.
The signing has also reignited political sensitivities tied to India-Pakistan relations. Pakistani players have not featured in the IPL since its inaugural 2008 season, following the 2008 Mumbai attacks and subsequent diplomatic fallout.
The debate escalated after Sunil Gavaskar criticised the move, calling it an indirect way of funding Pakistan’s military — remarks that drew sharp reactions across the cricketing community.
