The Board of Control for Cricket in India clarified its stance after a franchise linked to Sunrisers Hyderabad bought Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed in The Hundred auction. The franchise, owned by Sun TV, is facing significant backlash on social media for acquiring Abrar during the players' auction, despite the prevailing public sentiment and national feelings. After acquiring Abrar, Vettori revealed that the team sought the mystery spinner following Adil Rashid's departure to another team. Since the takeover, there have been speculations about a shadow ban on Pakistani players, suggesting that no Indian team would select them. Eventually, the issue was addressed when the BCCI stepped in and instructed KKR to drop the bowler from the team.

Source: dna March 13, 2026 11:20 UTC