Did SRH break the ban on Pakistani players? BCCI gave a big statement:

News India Live, Digital Desk: recently held in London ‘The Hundred’ 2026 Sunrisers Leeds bought Abrar Ahmed in the auction 1.90 lakh pounds (about Rs 2.34 crore) Bought in. Since this team is owned by Sun TV Network (which also owns SRH), there was a lot of resentment among the Indian fans.

BCCI’s official stance (BCCI’s Reaction)

BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla Clarifying on this controversy, he said:

“It is not within our jurisdiction”: Rajiv Shukla clarified that this matter is not related to IPL, but to a foreign league (The Hundred).

“The franchise’s own decision”: He said that the decision to buy players in foreign leagues is the franchise’s own, BCCI cannot interfere in it. “What they (Sunrisers) do is their decision, our domain is limited to IPL only.”

The main reason for the controversy (The Controversy)

There are two main reasons for the anger of Indian fans on the selection of Abrar Ahmed:

Ban in IPL: There has been an ‘undisclosed ban’ on Pakistani players playing in the IPL since 2008. Fans believe that the Indian-owned team should not have done this even abroad.

Old Social Media Posts: There are allegations against Abrar Ahmed that he had made some posts in the past making fun of the Indian Army and Air Force, due to which the fans are even more angry.

Coach Daniel Vettori’s clarification

Sunrisers head coach Daniel Vettori has described this signing as purely a ‘cricketing decision’. He said that the team was looking for a mystery spinner and Abrar fits that role. There was no discussion about any kind of ‘nationality’ in the team.

Will Abrar Ahmed play in IPL 2026?

the answer is No. Abrar Ahmed has been selected only for England’s league ‘The Hundred’. There has been no change in the rules of IPL and the doors of IPL are still closed for Pakistani players.