Sunrisers Leeds secured the services of Pakistani leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed for £190,000 in the men’s Hundred auction, marking the first Pakistani international signed by an Indian-owned franchise in the tournament. The acquisition came after a bidding contest with Trent Rockets, with Sunrisers Leeds, owned by Indian media group Sun TV, emerging victorious. Sun TV recently acquired the franchise, previously known as Northern Superchargers, by purchasing a 49 percent stake from the ECB and the remaining 51 percent from Yorkshire for approximately £100 million.
Earlier expectations that IPL franchise-owned teams would avoid bidding for Pakistan players were challenged when Abrar was selected. Notably, no Pakistan player has participated in the IPL since 2009, and IPL franchise owners have generally refrained from signing cricketers from Pakistan in various T20 leagues worldwide. The ECB emphasized that auction selections would be based on cricketing performance, availability, and team requirements.
Abrar was the second Pakistan player to be sold in the auction, with Usman Tariq also finding a buyer in Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000. While some Pakistan players like Saim Ayub, Haris Rauf, and Shadab Khan went unsold, Sunrisers Leeds also added Ryan Rickelton from South Africa, Zak Crawley and others to their squad. The 2026 Hundred is scheduled to take place from July 21 to August 16, featuring 34 men’s and 34 women’s matches.
