Former Team India captain Sunil Gavaskar lashed out at the Sunrisers Hyderabad sister franchise. Gavaskar accused Sunrisers Leeds of indirectly contributing financial resources toward the tragic deaths of Indian citizens by signing Pakistan cricketer Abrar Ahmed during the recent auction.
Kavya Maran recently acquired full ownership of the Leeds-based franchise in the Hundred. The franchise signed Abrar Ahmed for £190,000, roughly ₹2.3 crore, during The Hundred auction. The move sparked major outrage on social media, forcing Sunrisers Leeds to temporarily deactivate their accounts.
In his column for Mid-Day, Sunil Gavaskar reminded cricket fans about the sensitive relationship between the two neighbouring countries. He said the franchise owners ignored the serious consequences of paying a large salary to Abrar Ahmed.
“The furore created by the acquisition of a Pakistani player by the Indian owner of a franchise in The Hundred is hardly surprising. Ever since the Mumbai attacks in November 2008, Indian franchise owners have simply ignored Pakistani players for the IPL," Gavaskar wrote.
"Although belated, the realisation that the fees that they pay to a Pakistani player, who then pays income tax to his government which buys arms and weapons, indirectly contributes to the deaths of Indian soldiers and civilians is making Indian entities refrain from even considering having Pakistani artistes and sportspersons,” he added.
Following the Mumbai attacks in 2008, IPL franchises avoided signing Pakistan players. The Pulwama attack and the recent Pahalgam terror attack further strained relations between the two nations. Recently, the BCCI even directed the Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman.
Is Winning Much More Important Than Indian Lives? - Sunil Gavaskar
Sunrisers Leeds head coach Daniel Vettori revealed that Abrar Ahmed was signed after the team failed to acquire Adil Rashid. Sunil Gavaskar criticized Daniel Vettori and the franchise management. He said winning The Hundred is not more important than Indian lives.
“Whether it is an Indian entity or an overseas subsidiary of the entity that is making the payment, if the owner is Indian, then he or she is contributing to the Indian casualties. It’s as simple as that."
"Daniel Vettori, the coach of the team in The Hundred who hails from New Zealand, may not understand this simple dynamic, and so may have wanted some Pakistani players in his team, but surely the owner should have had an understanding of the situation and discouraged the purchase. Is winning a tournament in a format that no other country plays in much more important than Indian lives?”
There’s Still Time to Undo the Wrong - Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar warned the team management about possible stadium protests from angry Indian cricket fans. He also urged the franchise owners to immediately correct the administrative mistake.
“It won’t be a surprise that for every game that this team plays, whether at home or away there will be massive demonstrations by Indian fans protesting at this hard-to-believe buying."
"In fact, it won’t be a surprise that despite having some of the most attractive stroke makers in their team the crowds may stay away and show their disapproval of the decision. There’s still time to undo the wrong and hopefully wiser counsels will prevail.”
Sunrisers Leeds must evaluate their next steps before the tournament begins. Indian cricket supporters are demanding accountability from the franchise for their financial investment in Pakistan national team players.
Also read: Suryakumar Yadav reveals 3 players who supported his captaincy during India’s T20 World Cup 2026 triumph
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