Abrar Ahmed
Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed has been the talk of Pakistan, more for his infamous celebrations after a dismissal and he has also had a notable year with the ball.

Overview:

With Abrar's signing, Sunrisers Leeds have broken the blockade that has marred global leagues for years.

The owners of Sunrisers Hyderabad have bought Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed in The Hundred 2026 auction. The Sun Group owns Sunrisers Leeds, and they spent INR 2.34 crore on one of the leading bowlers of the Men in Green. Kavya Maran, who is the CEO of the franchise, was present during the auction.

Head coach Daniel Vettori assisted her as Sunrisers Leeds managed to outbid Trent Rockets to acquire Abrar. England’s white-ball skipper Harry Brook will lead the franchise. It is the first time that the owners of the IPL franchise have added a Pakistan player to their sister team.

Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and SunRisers Leeds have an association with the IPL teams.

Pakistan’s mystery spinner Usman Tariq was bought by Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000. Abrar has been impressive in the shortest format of the game, taking 52 wickets in 38 T20Is at an average of 17.36 and an economy rate of 6.67. He took six wickets in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2026.

A total of 14 players were shortlisted for The Hundred 2026 auction, but Shaheen Shah Afridi withdrew a day before the action.

Haris Rauf and Saim Ayub failed to attract any bids. The Hundred has allowed private investment, sparking fears that Pakistan’s players would be ignored. Mumbai Indians. Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals are also linked with the teams in The Hundred.

Pakistan players are now allowed to play in the IPL since the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Indian owners in South Africa’s SA 20 and the UAE’s ILT20 have not signed a single Pakistan player.

According to a BBC report before the auction, the franchises owned by Indian business groups wouldn’t go after Pakistan players. This forced the England and Wales Cricket Board to issue a warning to all the owners that selection must be based on merit and not on the country or region.

With Abrar’s signing, Sunrisers Leeds have broken the blockade that has marred global leagues for years.

An ardent Team India, Virat Kohli, and Arsenal Fan, Mohd Asim, has been associated with Crictoday for several years. He enjoys all the formats of the game and believes that three can coexist, considering...