The Hundred: List of Pakistan players playing for Indians-owned teams

NEW DELHI – When Sunrisers Leeds secured Pakistan mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed for GBP 190,000 after a fierce bidding duel with Trent Rockets during Thursday’s draft, the move reverberated well beyond the English venue. The acquisition, which equates to roughly Rs 2.34 crore, instantly revived debate over Pakistani cricketers’ presence in competitions linked to Indian investors, even as the Board of Control for Cricket in India underlined that it has no jurisdiction over overseas leagues.

BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla sought to draw a firm line between the Indian Premier League and England’s 100-ball competition. “It doesn’t concern us. It’s not the IPL. What happens in The Hundred or other overseas leagues, we have nothing to do with it,” Shukla told PTI, distancing the board from the social-media backlash that followed Abrar’s purchase.

The reaction was swift: Sunrisers Leeds’ X account was briefly suspended amid a flurry of online commentary, reflecting sensitivities that date back to 2009, when diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan led to an effective ban on Pakistani players entering the IPL. Sunrisers Leeds itself came under the Sun Group umbrella last year when the media conglomerate—owner of IPL’s Sunrisers Hyderabad—acquired 49% from the England and Wales Cricket Board and the remaining 51% from Yorkshire for a reported GBP 100 million. Sunrisers CEO Kavya Maran was present at the auction table to oversee the franchise’s new-look squad.

Abrar is not the lone Pakistani representative in The Hundred this season. Earlier in the draft, Birmingham Phoenix paid GBP 140,000 for mystery spinner Usman Tariq, though that franchise has no IPL cross-ownership.

The trend of Pakistani stars featuring in Indian-owned or co-owned teams outside the IPL is not new. All-rounder Imad Wasim turned out for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the 2023–24 ILT20 and subsequently for Seattle Orcas in Major League Cricket in both 2024 and 2025; the Orcas are co-owned by the GMR Group, which also controls Delhi Capitals. Fast bowler Zaman Khan joined Imad at Seattle for MLC 2024, while Mohammad Amir and Usman Tariq were part of Trinbago Knight Riders’ title-winning campaign in the 2024 Caribbean Premier League. The CPL franchise is owned by Kolkata Knight Riders, underscoring the expanding global footprint of IPL franchises and the increasingly complex player movement across borders.

The fourth edition of The Hundred runs from 21 July to 16 August, and with Abrar and Usman Tariq set to ply their trade on English soil, the spotlight on Pakistani cricketers in Indian-backed setups shows little sign of dimming.

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