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Sunrisers Leeds, the sister team of the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) franchise, had acquired Pakistan's Abrar Ahmed at The Hundred player auction, in what was a controversial move.
Bengaluru: Sunrisers Hyderabad's coach Daniel Vettori, left, captain Ishan Kishan, second left, and others during a practice session on the eve of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 cricket match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Karnataka, Friday, March 27, 2026. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak) (PTI03_27_2026_000429A)(PTI)Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will be aiming to get their IPL 2026 campaign off to a winning note ,as they face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Bengaluru on Saturday.
However, away from the IPL limelight, the Kavya Maran co-owned Sunrisers franchise has come under scrutiny for their purchase of Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed at The Hundred auction earlier in March.
At the inaugural auction of The Hundred that took place in London on 12 March, Sunrisers Leeds had acquired Abrar for £190,000 (Approximately ₹2.34 crore).
The acquisition of a Pakistan cricketer by an Indian-owned franchise was met with criticism from fans, with several fans slamming SRH and the team's co-owner Kavya Maran.
Former India women's team captain Anjum Chopra spoke on the issue, and when asked if Sunrisers Hyderabad players could get distracted by what is happening within the franchise, she replied in the negative.
“If you are talking about players like Ishan Kishan or Abhishek Sharma, they won't be affected by what is happening on social media.”
SRH players extremely focused on their game: Anjum Chopra
“They are extremely focused on their game and are here only to perform. It is understandable that a team's environment can be impacted if the owner is facing a tough time, but at the end of the day, a player's job is to perform," Anjum Chopra was quoted as saying by NDTV.
The 48-year-old said that whatever is happening within The Hundred franchise shouldn't be of concern, and stated the fact that Abrar Ahmed is not coming to India.
"Abrar Ahmed is not coming to India. Whatever happens will take place in the UK league, so we should not be concerned about a tournament being held overseas.
"As far as controversies are concerned, everything becomes a big topic these days because of social media," the New Delhi-born former cricketer added.
Talking about IPL 2026, Sunrisers Hyderabad will miss their regular skipper Pat Cummins as he continues his road to full fitness due to a back injury.
Cummins, who missed a majority of the Ashes and the entire T20 World Cup, is yet to receive clearance from Cricket Australia to take part in IPL 2026. Until the Australia pacer is available, Ishan Kishan will lead Sunrisers Hyderabad.
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