Why SRH Owner Kavya Maran’s Bid For Pakistani Player Abrar Ahmed Has Fans Boycotting IPL?
Kavya Maran, co-owner of Sunrisers Hyderabad, became the only Indian bidder to buy a Pakistani player in The Hundred 2026 auction.
The Indian Premier League will begin soon, and excitement is everywhere as usual. But this time, a team owner has landed in hot water. Kavya Maran, co-owner of Sunrisers Hyderabad, became the only Indian bidder to buy a Pakistani player in The Hundred 2026 auction. Her new team, Sunrisers Leeds, paid £190,000, which is around Rs 2.34 crore for Pakistan legspinner Abrar Ahmed, and this choice has many Indian cricket fans furious.
They called the decision wrong and even asked fans to stop supporting Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 season. It all comes from an old post by Abrar Ahmed. During India’s “Operation Sindoor” against Pakistan, he posted a photo of himself drinking tea with the words “Amazing tea”. Many saw this as a mockery about the 2019 moment when Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman was captured in Pakistan and shown drinking tea there. That photo went viral and became a heated topic online.
If there is no respect for the nation, there will be no support from fans.
Boycott Sunrises Hyderabad for buying Pakistani Jihadi Abrar Ahmed! #BoycottSRH pic.twitter.com/eDLv2vH5Cq
— Shilpa (@shilpa_cn) March 12, 2026
Soon, Sunrisers Leeds’ official X account was taken down. A message said it broke the rules, but no details were shared. This made the online anger grow even more.
Other than Abrar Ahmed, a Pakistani player, off-spinner Usman Tariq was bought that day. He went to Birmingham Phoenix, a team not linked to any Indian IPL owner. No Pakistani has played in the IPL since 2009 because of political issues between the countries. Even though The Hundred is a separate English league, this deal has caused havoc across social media platforms.
One user wrote, “Even after the Backlash, SRH intentionally tweeted this pic showing Abrar Ahmed as their player. Looks like some one is playing with our sentiments but doesn’t know the POWER of the audience. It’s high time to #BoycottSRH.”
Also Read: IPL 2026 Guide: From Schedule To Ticket Booking Partners, Here’s All You Need To Know
Another user wrote, “For them, money is not the most important thing, but the country. These people have sold their conscience for money. It would not be unfair to call them traitors. SHAME ON @SunRisers, @sunrisersleeds, KAVYA MARAN. #BoycottSRH’
What are your thoughts? Let us know!
First Published: March 13, 2026 12:41 PM
