Cricket
The Hundred auction took a dramatic turn on March 12. The Indian-based team owner has picked a Pakistani player for her team, and fans reacted online wildly.
Kavya Maran, owner of Sunrisers Leeds, surprised everyone by picking Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed. The deal cost the franchise £190,000, making it one of the event's talking points.
Some fans have started criticising Kavya Maran for her decision to pick the spinner amid the recent India-Pakistan cricket controversies. Hashtags like Boycott SRH are trending online.
The signing created history because Abrar Ahmed became the first Pakistani player to join an Indian-owned team in The Hundred. This deal has made it even more controversial.
Soon after the signing of Abrar Ahmed, the Sunrisers Leeds social media account got suspended. This added more mystery to the situation
Fast bowler Haris Rauf went unsold at his reserve price of £100,000, while star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi withdrew before the auction began. Meanwhile, another Pakistan spinner, Usman Tariq, was picked by Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000.
While the franchise said the decision was based purely on cricketing needs, the signing continues to spark debate among fans across countries.
Cricket