Why Did Sunrisers Leeds' X Account Get Suspended Right After Signing Abrar Ahmed?

Suspension of Sunrisers Leeds' X Account

New Delhi: The X account of Sunrisers Leeds was suspended shortly after the franchise secured the signing of Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed during the 2026 auction for The Hundred held on Thursday.

Abrar made history as the first Pakistani cricketer to be signed by an Indian-owned team in this tournament. However, the decision sparked backlash among fans, who took to X to express their discontent, labeling the franchise and its owner as anti-national.

Just hours after the signing, which cost the team £190,000 (approximately ₹2.3 crore), the official X account of Sunrisers Leeds faced suspension. Although the platform has not disclosed the exact reason, users trying to access the account encounter a message stating, 'Account suspended. X suspends accounts that violate the X rules.'

Sun TV has recently acquired The Hundred franchise, formerly known as Northern Superchargers, by purchasing a 49% stake from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the remaining 51% from Yorkshire for around £100 million.

Initial reports indicated that IPL franchise-owned teams would refrain from bidding on Pakistani players, and the early moments of Thursday's auction seemed to confirm this until Abrar was selected.

Since 2009, no Pakistani player has participated in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and franchise owners who have invested in T20 leagues globally have typically avoided signing players from Pakistan.

Last month, the ECB stated that auction selections would be determined solely by 'cricketing performance, availability, and team requirements.' While nine Pakistani players have participated in the first five seasons of the competition, no female cricketers from Pakistan were chosen in the women's auction held on Wednesday.

Abrar was the second Pakistani player to be sold during Thursday's auction, following mystery spinner Usman Tariq, who was acquired by Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000. Other Pakistani players, including Saim Ayub, Haris Rauf, and Shadab Khan, went unsold.

Sunrisers Leeds, led by captain Harry Brook and coached by Daniel Vettori, also secured South African Ryan Rickelton, along with England's Zak Crawley, Matt Potts, and Dan Lawrence during the auction's early rounds. The squad already features Brydon Carse, Mitchell Marsh, and Nathan Ellis.

The 2026 edition of The Hundred is scheduled to take place from July 21 to August 16, featuring a total of 34 matches for both men and women.