Sunrisers Leeds, led by CEO Kavya Maran, had its official X account suspended following The Hundred 2026 Auction. The suspension came after the franchise faced a massive social media backlash for signing Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed, which is believed to have triggered an automated suspension due to mass reporting.
Sunrisers Leeds, led by CEO Kavya Maran, had its official X (formerly Twitter) account suspended on Thursday, March 12. Sunrisers Leeds was part of the recently concluded The Hundred 2026 Auction, which took place at Piccadilly Lights in London on Thursday.
Sunrisers Leeds, which is part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise group in the Indian Premier League, spent £1.01 million of their remaining £1.1 million purse to sign 11 players and complete their 15-member squad. The franchise had already committed £950,000 from its total budget of £2.05 million to pre-sign four players, including Harry Brook, Mitchell Marsh, Nathan Ellis, and Brydon Carse, before the auction.
At the Hundred Auction, the Sunrisers franchise signed the remaining 11 players to complete their 15-member roster for the upcoming season of the tournament. English cricketer Dan Lawrence was the most expensive buy for the Kavya Maran-led Sunrisers Leeds, as the franchise secured his services for £210,000 during the auction.
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Sunrisers Leeds Face Backlash on Social Media
As Sunrisers Leeds signed their targeted players at the Hundred 2026 Auction, the franchise faced significant backlash and criticism on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter). This came after the franchise signed Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed for the upcoming season of the tournament.
Sunrisers splurged £190,000 (INR 2.34 Crore) to acquire the services of Abrar Ahmed for The Hundred 2026. Abrar was one of only two out of 14 Pakistani players to have been signed by the franchises at the auction. The other being Usman Tariq, who Birmingham Phoenix acquired for £140,000 (INR 1.72 Crore).
Sunrisers Leeds’ acquisition of Abrar Ahmed at the Hundred 2026 sparked a massive backlash on social media, especially targeting Kavya Maran, as several users questioned the Indian-owned franchises for signing the Pakistani spinner. Ahead of the auction, it was reported that the IPL-linked franchises would refrain from signing Pakistani players due to political tensions between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack, which occurred in April 2025.
The Indian-owned The Hundred franchises, which include Manchester Super Giants (RPSG Group), MI London (Reliance), Sunrisers Leeds (Sun TV), and Southern Brave (GMR), are all linked to IPL owners, and they reportedly imposed a ‘shadow ban’ on Pakistani players.
However, after the England and Wales Cricket Board’s clear stance on non-discrimination and open player selection, Sunrisers Leeds proceeded to bid for and sign Abrar Ahmed, challenging the previously assumed restrictions.
Why Did Sunrisers Leeds X Account Get Suspended?
Following the signing of Ahmed Abrar at the Hundred 2026 Auction, Sunrisers Leeds reportedly faced a wave of mass reporting and online criticism on X (formerly Twitter). The Kavya Maran-led side franchise was widely criticised and abused by Indian cricket fans, who expressed anger and disappointment at Sunrisers Leeds for signing a Pakistani player.
Sunriser Leeds, owned by SUN TV Network, reportedly received a large number of complaints and reports on X within a short period, which is believed to have triggered an automated suspension of the franchise’s official account.
The signing of Pakistani Abrar Ahmed by Sunrisers Leeds at the Hundred 2026 Auction led to trending hashtags like #BoycottSunrisers and #ShameOnSRH on X, as several users criticised the decision and called for action against the franchise’s official account. Indian cricket fans called for a boycott of Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of the IPL 2026 following Abrar Ahmed’s signing by the sister franchise.
However, X Corp, which owns X (formerly Twitter), has not issued any official statement explaining the exact reason behind the suspension of Sunrisers Leeds’ account. According to the platform’s moderation system, a large number of reports against an account within a short period can sometimes trigger an automated temporary suspension.
It remains to be seen whether Sunrisers Leeds’ X account will be restored soon, as X Corp. has yet to provide any official clarification regarding the suspension.
