'Contribution To Indian Casualties': Sunil Gavaskar Rips Into Sunrisers' Management For Abrar Ahmed Signing

Former Indian batsman, the legendary Sunil Gavaskar has openly slammed the Sunrisers franchise's ownership for their purchase of Pakistani leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed during the player auction of England's the Hundred tournament last week.

The Sunrisers group, owners of Indian Premier League’s Hyderabad-based franchise, recently expanded their global footprint by acquiring full ownership of the Northern Superchargers, a Leeds-based team in The Hundred.

Additionally, 3 more IPL franchise owners have also stepped into the Hundred scene - the Reliance Industries (MI London), RPSG Group (Manchester Super Giants) and GMR Group (Southern Brave).

While the other franchises owned by IPL owners made news for accumulating strong teams, the Sun TV Group were all over the headlines for signing a Pakistan national despite being an Indian franchise.

Since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, the Board of Control for Cricket in India banned Pakistani players from entering the IPL and since 2012, the two nations haven't even played any bilateral cricket.

The rising tension is more or less caused by the frequent negative activities on Indian borders inflicted by Pakistan-based terror organizations.

A similar incident in Pahalgam last year provoked further constrains with the Indian team taking a firm stand by refusing to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts on the cricket field.

Sunil Gavaskar Goes All Out On Sunrisers' Management; Fears IPL Boycott From SRH Fans

But all of that doesn't seem to affect the Sun TV Group that owns Indian franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad. Their latest takeover in The Hundred was all good until they did the unthinkable by signing Abrar Ahmed.

In Sunil Gavaskar's views, the Sunrisers Kavya Maran might actually be funding or contributing to Indian casualties caused by radical Pakistani attacks.

The Sunrisers spent GBP 190,000, which roughly estimates to INR 2.34 crore, to sign Abrar Ahmed in the auction.

The 76-year-old wrote in his column that Abrar Ahmed will eventually have to pay taxes to his government, which uses money to weapons and indirectly cause Indian casualties in the borders.

"Although belated, the realisation that the fees that they pay to a Pakistani player, who then pays income tax to his government, which buys arms and weapons, indirectly contributes to the deaths of Indian soldiers and civilians, is making Indian entities refrain from even considering having Pakistani artistes and sportspersons." - Sunil Gavaskar wrote on his column for Mid-day.

He argued that Indian-owned franchises must prioritize national sentiment over league success and that the ownership, led by CEO Kavya Maran, should have blocked the move.

"Whether it is an Indian entity or an overseas subsidiary of the entity that is making the payment, if the owner is Indian, then he or she is contributing to the Indian casualties. It’s as simple as that." - the 76-year-old added.

Gavaskar further state that coach Daniel Vettori may prioritize sporting tactics due to his New Zealand background but the Indian owners must have prioritized national sentiment.

He questioned whether winning a niche tournament like The Hundred justifies financially supporting a Pakistani player at the expense of Indian lives.

"Daniel Vettori, the coach of the team in The Hundred who hails from New Zealand, may not understand this simple dynamic and so may have wanted some Pakistani players in his team, but surely the owner should have had an understanding of the situation and discouraged the purchase. Is winning a tournament in a format that no other country plays in much more important than Indian lives?" - Gavaskar asked.

He also warned that this decision could trigger massive public backlash and boycotts against the Hyderabad-based franchise during the upcoming IPL season.

"It won't be a surprise that for every game that this team plays, whether at home or away, there will be massive demonstrations by Indian fans protesting at this hard-to-believe buying. Despite having some of the most attractive stroke makers in their team, the crowds may stay away and show their disapproval of the decision." - Gavaskar concluded.

Abrar Ahmed, who made his debut for Pakistan in 2022, has previously targeted India through cryptic social media posts and his send-off celebration after taking a wicket is not unknown either.

It will be interesting to see how the Sunrisers Hyderabad fans react to this development when the Orange Army hosts its first game in IPL 2026 on April 5 against the Lucknow Super Giants.

Pat Cummins and co will feature in the tournament opener against reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 28 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.