Overview
- Owned by the group behind Sunrisers Hyderabad, the Leeds franchise outbid Trent Rockets to land the leg-spinner in the men’s auction in London.
- Coverage described the move as a rare break with recent practice, marking the first signing in years of a Pakistan international by an IPL-linked Hundred team.
- Hours after the announcement, the team’s official X account was suspended with no stated reason as boycott hashtags trended among Indian users.
- The ECB and all eight franchises had reaffirmed that selections must be based on performance and availability following earlier reports of a 'shadow ban' on Pakistan players.
- Overall uptake was limited, with only two Pakistan men bought—Abrar Ahmed (£190,000) and Usman Tariq (£140,000)—and none of the women selected, while BCCI’s Rajeev Shukla said the Indian board cannot intervene in a foreign league.