Due to a startling development on Thursday, IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad owner Kavya Maran is facing extreme censure from users on social media.
Her name is at the top of the trending charts as of Friday morning. The reason behind the sudden criticism has emanated from England's The Hundred.
Why is Kavya Maran facing intense criticism on social media?
The much-anticipated auction of The Hundred for the upcoming 2026 season took place on Thursday. During the bidding event, Sunrisers Leeds-The sister outfit of SRH-roped in some positive young talents and experienced veterans who have made their mark in the international circuit. Among the latter category was a name that irked many Indian users. The franchise announced the signing of Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed for the upcoming season. The Sunrisers gave GBP 190,000 (Rs 2.34 crore approximately) to acquire the services of Ahmed after a bidding war with the Trent Rockets.
For the unversed, Ahmed made some controversial posts last year when a brief armed conflict sparked between India and Pakistan. Ahmed's remarks led to massive outrage. Considering that, his getting picked by a franchise, which has its roots in India, has not sat well with the fans and subsequently, Kavya Maran, who is the face of all the Sunrisers' franchises, is facing the fury of enthusiasts of Indian cricket.
Following the announcement made by the franchise, an inundation of comments filled the comment section of the post that said "welcome Abrar Ahmed". Eventually, the account got withheld by the platform.
Reacting to the development, a user wrote, "A franchise owned by an Indian has signed Pakistani player Abrar Ahmed, who has openly mocked and shown contempt for India, for their overseas cricket league. They don't hire Pakistanis in India only because it is not permitted. The moment that restriction disappears, they won't waste a second jumping in. This incident neatly exposes the hollowness of big corporate patriotism."
Another scathing comment read, "If Sunrisers still don't remove Abrar Ahmed even after this insane backlash, where even their own fans are openly bashing the decision, then it's truly a shame and shows where the management's priorities lie. This is the same Abrar Ahmed who mocked Abhinandan Varthaman during Operation Sindoor by posting a tea picture with the caption "Fantastic Tea."
Abrar was the second Pakistan player sold during the auction after another mystery spinner Usman Tariq was bought by Birmingham Phoenix for GBP 140,000 (Rs 1.72 crore approximately).
However, Phoenix have no IPL connection. Pakistan Pacer Harris Rauf and off-spin all-rounder Saim Ayub were earlier went unsold. The League will begin on July 21 and will culminate on August 16.
Read more news like this on www.etnownews.com