From Plan B to Big Pick: The reason behind why Sunrisers signed Abrar Ahmed

Cricket

A surprise pick

An unexpected pick created buzz in the Hundred auction as well as online. Sunrisers Leeds went all in to pick the Pakistani spinner and that pick led to a controversy.

The real target

The franchise had a different plan; they wanted to pick Adil Rashid. But Southern Brave snapped him, so they went for Abrar Ahmed and bought him for £190,000[2.34 crore rupees].

“Once we missed out on Adil Rashid, who was a priority early on, then we obviously jumped into the overseas spinner,” Vettori said. “There were four or five guys that we were looking at, and Abrar was one of them. Very pleased to get him.”

“No Discussion on Pakistan Players, Vettori's statement

“We just planned for everyone that was in the auction. There wasn’t a discussion about not picking Pakistan players — it was simply about who the best option was,” he said.

"Abrar will be a mystery for English players".

“It’s a bit of mystery. A lot of English players haven’t seen him before. The feedback from the Australian guys was that he’s tricky to face, has plenty of variations and the ability to strike in the powerplay as well as through the middle overs.”

A signing that has sparked debate

The signing has quickly grabbed attention online and fans are fuming over the selection of Abrar Ahmed. Abrar became one of the first Pakistani players signed by an Indian-owned Hundred team.

Why is Kavya Maran facing backlash after The Hundred 2026 auction? - Details inside