TOP STORIES
BCCI breaks silence amid Sunrisers Leeds' decision to sign Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed
The signing of Pakistan’s mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed by Sunrisers Leeds in the 2026 player auction of The Hundred has sparked intense uproar in India. Sunrisers Leeds secured Abrar Ahmed for £190,000 during the inaugural men’s auction held in London on Thursday. The deal was eye-catching because Abrar became the first Pakistani cricketer to be signed by an Indian-owned franchise in The Hundred.
The Leeds-based franchise, owned by India’s Sun Group and linked to the IPL team Sunrisers Hyderabad, outbid rivals in a bidding war to secure the leg-spinner. Amid the uproar, BCCI secretary Rajeev Shukla said that the board can't take any decision because foreign leagues don't fall under its jurisdiction. Indian fans, on the other hand, slammed the franchise for signing a Pakistan player despite long-standing political tensions between the two countries.
“Our domain is limited to the IPL. We have nothing to do with what they do in a league outside that. How can we interfere with them signing a player in a foreign league. This is not at all concerned with the IPL. It's an overseas league. This is not in our domain. We cannot do anything. They have to take a call. It’s purely upto the franchise who have bought a team outside India. If they are taking some player outside India in that league, we are least concerned because, in IPL there is no such player,” Shukla told ANI on Friday.
The controversy escalated further when the official X account of Sunrisers Leeds was suddenly suspended shortly after the signing announcement. There was no clarification as to why the account was suspended. Surprisingly, other Pakistani players like Saim Ayub, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan went unsold.
More News
"CSK is incomplete without MS Dhoni": Ex-India star drops massive hint ahead of IPL 2026
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, reflecting on the immense impact of MS Dhoni on the Chennai Super Kings, said that the legendary wicketkeeper-batter could be approaching the final chapter of his remarkable journey in the Indian Premier League. At the same time, Pathan said that the franchise would be incomplete without the iconic leader....
Ronchi and Oram to join Islamabad United for PSL 2026 despite New Zealand commitments
New Zealand's batting coach Luke Ronchi and bowling coach Jacob Oram are set to work with Islamabad United in the PSL 2026, even though the tournament overlaps with major assignments for New Zealand. Ronchi’s association with Islamabad United is not new. The former New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter represented the franchise for three seasons afte...
BCCI introduces strict guidelines ahead of IPL 2026
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has issued fresh guidelines to all ten franchises participating in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. As per Cricbuzz, the board has directed that no franchise will be allowed to train on a pitch that has already been used by another team during their net practice session.
Under the new guidelines, ...
The Men's Hundred 2026: Squads of all eight teams following first-ever auction
The first-ever player auction at the Men's Hundred tournament in London on Thursday made a lot of headlines, with uncapped talent James Coles becoming the costliest player in the inaugural Men's Hundred auction after being purchased for a whopping GBP 390,000 by London Spirit. Another major name to draw strong attention was Jordan Cox, who had an outstanding pr...
"We knew that it's going to be difficult": Suryakumar Yadav on India's T20I World Cup title win
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav believes that the mindset to put the team first proved crucial as India secured a historic third title at the Men's T20 World Cup. In a commanding final played in Ahmedabad, India beat New Zealand by 96 runs on Sunday. The victory was not only emphatic but also historic, as India became the first side in the tour...
Android App
iOS App
YouTube
Facebook
Instagram