Rajiv Shukla Breaks Silence On BCCI’s Position Over Sunrisers Leeds Signing Abrar Ahmed

Sunrisers Leeds' signing of Abrar Ahmed for GBP 190,000 (INR 2.34 crore) in the Hundred auction has led to a massive uproar on social media in India. They are owned by the Indian media group Sun TV and are a sister franchise of IPL's Sunrisers Hyderabad.

With this, they have become the first franchise to sign a Pakistani player in the Hundred league. This decision has Kavya Maran, the co-owner of both the franchises and the daughter of Sun TV network tycoon Kalanithi Maran, under heavy criticism for hurting the sentiments of Indian fans, as Abrar Ahmed has a history of mocking the Indian Air Force and fans with his 'Tea is fantastic' jibe.

As the fiasco intensified, a Member of Parliament and the Vice-President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was asked by the ANI on the ongoing row, to which he replied that the matter is beyond the realm of the Indian cricket board, as it's a foreign league and it's on the respective franchise to take the call.

Abrar Ahmed's Jibe At Indian Forces

Despite doing well at the world stage, Abrar Ahmed has always irked Indian fans for his off-field shenanigans. The mystery spinner has mocked the Indian Air Force and fans either with his posts with a cup of tea with the caption 'Tea is Fantastic' (referring to Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman's video in Pakistan during temporary captivity) or making videos of drinking team with fellow Pakistani teammates.

Though he's been picked in a foreign league, which is separated from the IPL, Sun TV has a 100% stake in Sunrisers Leeds, which was earlier known as Northern Superchargers. It's now a sister franchise of Sunrisers Hyderabad, which has made even its hardcore fans unhappy, given Abrar's anti-India remarks in the past.